The 48th Hunger Games
by MonkeyPower435
Summary: 24 tributes will rise up into a new arena, infested with hidden terrors. There will be deaths, alliances, friendships, traps, and betrayals. Welcome to the 48th Hunger Games. (SYOT closed. Thanks to everyone who submitted a tribute!)
1. Prologue

**Hello again! I've decided to make an SYOT for the Hunger Games. It's first come, first serve. I need 24 tributes ASAP. There's no time limit for how long it's open. I will randomly pick who the winner will be. All the information for the character sheet will be on my profile page. You can make as many characters as you want. I might make one or two OCs, but I'll make them die off quickly. Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be** ** _ever_** **in your favor!**

President Haza lounged on a couch, sipping a glass of wine. Drago, the head Gamemaker, stood beside her. "Well, another Hunger Games down." He said in satisfaction. Haza nodded. "I really thought that Marga was going to win." She said. Drago laughed. "If you thought that, you're crazy." He said. "The only reason Marga got to the final eight was because she got lucky. The foolish girl walked straight into that storm we set up." The two sat in silence for a while. Then Haza asked, "Where do you think we're going to throw the next set of tributes?" Drago shrugged. "A desert? A jungle? A volcano, maybe? The possibilities are endless." Haza nodded and grinned. "I like the idea of a volcano." They both chuckled, and then Haza raised her glass. "To this year's successful Hunger Games." She said. "And to next year's Hunger Games, as well, so they may be even more exciting and bloody than the last." Drago cackled evilly. "Yes." He agreed. "Let the 48th Hunger Games begin."

 **Remember, the character sheets will be on my profile page. Send me your character in the comments. Also, I'm making the first five tributes sent to me get a free pass through the first day, so try to send in your character quickly. Good luck!**

 **MonkeyPower435**


	2. District 1 Reaping

**THE MOMENT IS FINALLY HERE! I'VE FINALLY MADE CHAPTER ONE OF THE 48TH HUNGER GAMES! IMPORTANT: I have not gotten all 24 tributes yet. Please feel free to send one in. The character sheet is on my profile page, and you can leave them in the reviews.**

 **Also, I only just finished Mockingjay, and OMG. I'm not going to say anything else in case you haven't read it yet, but OMG.**

 **You may notice that I started with the past tense in the prologue and then switched to present tense for this chapter. I'm going to be doing present tense the rest of the book. Deal with it. ;)**

 **Finally, I just want to give a huge shout out to those of you who have sent in a tribute. You have no idea what it means to me. To be honest with you, I didn't really expect to get any, so thank you. Now, with that being said, onto the story!**

* * *

Blaze

I sit at the kitchen table, listening to my parents telling my how to act when I volunteer. They keep telling me "what a great honor this is", and how "I need to present myself the right way". I pretend like I'm listening, but I'm not. All I can think about is that I wish I weren't as strong as I am, or as fast, or as good with weapons. Then maybe I wouldn't have gotten into this mess.

Ever since I was eight, my parents have made me train at the academy for the Hunger Games. They soon found out that I was a natural with weapons, especially spears. They realized I had a shot of being picked to volunteer, and because of this, they made me train extra hard. This year, I was finally chosen to volunteer. My parents went crazy when they heard the news. They even had me skip school so that I would have more time to train. I act like I'm happy, but really, I want nothing to do with the Hunger Games. Killing people just isn't my kind of thing.

The only good thing that came out of training was Platinum. We first met at the academy, when I accidently almost impaled her with my spear. We immediately fell in love, and a few months later, we began dating. She is the most amazing girl that I know.

"Blaze? Blaze, are you listening?" My mother asks me, pulling me back into the present. I flinch. "Yeah, I'm listening." I tell her. She nods, then begins to tell me how I need to act while walking to the stage. I have to resist the temptation to roll my eyes.

My mother gets me dressed in a dark blue suit, something that many people in our district can't afford, and then we head towards the city square that hosts the reaping. I sign in, then stand by a pack of seventeen year olds that I know from the academy. They give me a look that tells me they wish they were in my place. Funny. Right now, I wish I were in anybody's place except mine.

The square becomes packed with people. Many are directed to side streets, where they can watch the Reaping live on huge television screens. I shift from foot to foot, anxious. Finally, the mayor begins to speak. He makes his speech about Panem and then announces all the victors from District 1. In all, there have been twelve, four of them dead. Jackla Ragins, the victor who will serve as our head mentor, sits on the stage. The other victors will only help her out.

Our escort, Emaria Flaan, steps onto the podium. This year, she wears a sky blue wig and a matching dress. Her cheeks have been tattooed with flower petals. "Hello, everyone!" She announces. "Are you ready to see the special contendors for this year's Hunger Games?" The audience cheers. "Good!" She says. "As always, ladies first." Emaria reaches deep into the glass of girls' names and pulls out a slip. "Rosebud Graya!"

Rosebud walks towards the stage, looking shocked. Another girl steps forward. "I volunteer!" The girl calls out. I recognize her from the academy. Her name is Ariana Angel. She's only fifteen years old, but that doesn't make her any less deadly. I've seen her skill with a bow and arrow. She's not one to be messed with.

Ariana steps onto the stage. Emaria congratulates her, then walks over to the boys' glass. She pulls out a name. "Garo Havarch!" She says.

"I volunteer as tribute!" I yell. I walk towards the stage, keeping my head held high. My anger towards the Hunger Games boils up inside me, threatening to overflow, but I force it back down. I do _not_ want to do something stupid right now.

Emaria claps her hands together. "Marvelous, marvelous!" She says. "I give you the tributes of District one!" The crowd roars with approval, and Emaria gestures for us to shake hands. As I take hold of Ariana's hand, I look into her eyes. She seems calm enough, but I can see anger, too. Maybe I'm not the only one who doesn't like the Hunger Games.

The mayor reads the Treaty of Treason and dismisses the crowd. Peacekeepers take us back into the Justice Building. I'm directed to a small room with a velvet couch. There I wait until the door opens and my family comes through. My parents immediately begin to scold me about how I didn't act like they told me to. I just nod and tell them that I'm sorry, even though I'm not. My little sister, Velvet, stares up at us with wide eyes.

Once my parents finish lecturing me, we just stare at each other for a moment, not sure what to say. Then they pull me into a hug, and my mother begins to cry, and my father tells me how proud he is, and I keep telling them that I love them, over and over again. A Peacekeeper opens the door and orders my family out, but I don't want them to leave. The Peacekeeper practically has to drag me off of them.

As they go, my sister turns around. "Don't die." She says. I barely manage to avoid bursting into tears.

The next person to come in is Platinum. She doesn't say anything, just pulls me into a long kiss. Then she looks me in the eyes and says, "You have to win. You have to." Her determination startles me a little, but I tell her, "I'll win. Don't worry." She nods. Then she takes out a pendant. It has a symbol of a flame on it. "A reminder to be strong." She tells me. I slip the pendant over my neck, and she embraces me. I hold her, wanting the moment to last forever, but of course, it can't. The Peacekeeper comes and takes her away, and then I'm directed down a long flight of stairs, out a door, and towards the train station. The train pulls into the station and I step into it. Cameramen surround me, and I try to look confident. But right now, I'm everything but confident. I'm afraid. I'm not afraid of dying, exactly. I don't fear death. No, what scares me more is what will happen to Platinum if I die. I can't leave her alone. But I'll have to kill innocent children if I want to get back to her. It's a lose-lose situation.

I hate the Hunger Games.

* * *

Ariana

I lie in a bush, completely silent, and wait for game to wander by. I see a squirrel walk past and pull back my bow. I am about to release the arrow when I hear the rustle of leaves and spin around. It's only a bird, digging for worms. I sigh. Normally, I wouldn't be this antsy, but today is a special day. Reaping Day.

As much as I hate it, I was picked to volunteer for the Hunger Games. My parents keep telling me that I should feel honored to get such an opportunity, but I disagree. I think I stand a decent chance of winning. That's not the problem. The problem is that to survive, I have to kill children, children who have never done anything wrong, children who just want to get back to their friends and family alive. Despite what my parents say, I don't want to do that.

I hide my bow and arrow under the bush and pick up my game bag. It only holds two rabbits and a large bird, not nearly as much as I usually catch. I shoulder the bag and then begin to walk through the forest. It's not very large, so it only takes me a couple of minutes to reach the high fence that separates the woods from the rest of District 1. The fence is almost always buzzing, but a couple of years ago I managed to dig a hole underneath of it. I crawl through the hole and head towards my house.

As I walk, I hear footsteps behind me. I turn around and am tackled to the ground. My attacker lands on top of me, holding down my arms, but I knee him in the stomach and he falls off of me with a grunt. I pin him to the ground and prepare to break his nose, but I realize it's only Aquarius, my best friend. "Seriously." I say angrily. "Was that really neccessary?" Aquarius laughs. "Just a little last minute training." He says, getting up and brushing himself off. We continue walking towards my house. "Sorry I couldn't hunt with you today." Aquarius tells me. "My dad needed me to help him fix a water pipe." "Did you get it fixed?" I ask him. "Nope." Aquarius says. "Didn't even come close. My dad decided to just hire someone to do it." We come to my house. It's big, bigger than most. Most people would love living in it, but truthfully, I hate it. In fact, I hate most of the luxuries being rich has to offer. It's just so _boring_. You never have to work to get what you want. That's why I only eat what I catch while hunting. It's more thrilling then just going out and buying everything you need.

"Well, I'd better go." I tell Aquarius. "My parents'll be getting worried." I step onto the porch when Aquarius calls, "Wait!" I turn. Aquarius opens his mouth, then hesitates. After a moment, he says, "Never mind." "Oh." I say. "Okay." I try not to let the disappointment on my face show. There was something I was hoping he would tell me...

"Hey, Ariana." My little brother Caleb stands in the door, grinning at me. My heart warms when I see him. I hug him and step inside, setting down my game bag. My mother immediately rushes over. "You're late." She tells me. She orders me to go and take a bath. I obey, enjoying the warm water on my skin. After I'm done, she gives me a long, silky dress to wear to the Reaping. I put it on, even though it feels extremely uncomfortable. My mother then puts my hair in a long french braid. I'd prefer a simple ponytail, but I have to "look my best for the Reaping". We're completely ready to go at 2:07, even though the Reaping isn't until 3:00. My parents rush me and my siblings out the door, saying, "Hurry, hurry, hurry!" I don't for the life of me understand why we have to rush so much. The town square is only fifteen minutes away from our house.

We get to the square and I sign in. Some of my friends call me over to where they're standing. They begin to buzz around me like bees. "I can't believe you get to do this!" One of my friends, Marie, squeals. "It's so exciting!" I try to smile and act like I'm happy, but it's difficult.

The mayor gives his whole boring speech, then Emaria, our escort, comes up to the podium. She asks the audience, "Are you ready to see the special contendors for this year's Hunger Games?" There is a roar from the crowd. Then she says, "Ladies first!" She saunters over to the girls' glass of names and pulls out a paper. "Rosebud Graya!"

Rosebud begins walking towards the stage, but I step out before she can reach it. "I volunteer!" I call. I walk up to the stage, making my face unreadable. I don't want anyone to know what's going through my mind. "Ah, excellent!" Emaria says. "Now, for the boys." She puts her hand in the boys' glass and pulls out one of the names. "Garo Havarch!"

Another boy steps forward. "I volunteer as tribute!" He calls. I've seen him at the academy from time to time. I think his name is Blaze. He walks towards the stage, trying to look confident, but failing miserably. He seems angry. Huh. I guess I'm not the only one who desn't like the Hunger Games.

Emaria congratulates us and motions for us to shake hands. Then Peacekeepers take us back into the Justice Building. They take me up a flight of stair and into a small room. In the room is a long couch made of velvet. I crash on the couch and wait. After a moment, my family comes in. They hug me and congratulate me. Then my father draws back and says, "Remember, Ariana. Stick with the Careers. But don't trust them too much. They'll kill you the moment everyone else is dead." I sigh. "I know, dad." I say. Being with the Careers is not what I want to do, but my father had insisted that I join up with them.

Caleb holds out a beaded bracelet. "Here. I made it myself. It's a symbol of our bond that can never be broken." He tells me. I take the bracelet, trying hard not to cry, and then my family's time is up. My older brother, Tony, gives me a reassuring clap on the shoulder, and they leave.

After a while, the door opens again and Aquarius comes through. Before I can say anything, Aquarius blurts out, "I love you." He kisses me, full on the lips. I'm shocked, but I don't pull away. Secretly, I've hoped this would happen for a long time.

Finally, Aquarius releases me. He takes a shaky breath. "That felt good." He says. Then he disappears back out the door as I try to remember who I am.

I stare at the wall, lost in thought. Then a Peacekeeper comes in and takes me to the train station. I know cameramen are all around me, filming my every move, but I'm still in a daze. If I die and never get to tell Aquarius that I love him too...

No. Death isn't an option anymore. I _have_ to win, for my family and for Aquarius. I finger the bracelet that Caleb gave me. I have to make it home.

I _must_ survive. No matter what.

* * *

 **I hope you liked that chapter! Please tell me what you thought of Blaze and Ariana. Also, I am doing sponsor points for this story! I got the idea from cjborange (Seriously, guys, go check her out. She's awesome.). Basically, I am going to ask you guys questions at the end of each chapter. Each question is worth ten sponsor points. I'll also give you two points for each time that you favorite or follow me or my story. Once the Hunger Games officially start, I will put up on my profile page what different things cost. If you have a question about what something costs, please leave it in the reviews. I'll decide how much that thing costs and then put it on my profile page. Multiple people are allowed to pull their points together to buy a gift that's especially expensive. Remember, even if you don't make a tribute, you can still get sponsor points and give it to the person you want to win.**

 **With that being said, on to the sponsor questions:**

 **Q1. What was Ariana's older brother named?**

 **Q2. What was Blaze's token?**

 **Thank you so much to HG for Blaze Hale and BessonsBae for Ariana Angel. As always, Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!**


	3. District 2 Reaping

**We're on to District 2! Thanks to those of you who have reviewed. This chapter is kind of cruddy, but whatever. Enjoy!**

* * *

Octavian

I sit in the grass, enjoying the heat from the sun. My friends sit all around me, talking and laughing. For a moment, they talk about the weather and their siblings and whatnot, but it's not long before the discussion turns to me. The discussion always turns to me. Not that I'm complaining.

"Wow, Octavian!" My friend Jake chirps. "I can't believe you're going into the Hunger Games!" I shrug like it's no big deal. "Well, it's not surprising. I am pretty awesome, after all." My friends laugh, even though they know it's true. I am the definition of awesome.

"You know, you really should be training right now." Another friend of mine, Braden, says. I snort. "Please." I say. "I could win this thing even if I had never trained in my life." Of course, if my mom knew I was hanging out at the park instead of training, she would kill me. But that's irrelevant.

Jake checks his watch. "The Reaping's in an hour." He tells us. "We should go home and get ready." I nod and gather up my stuff. My friends wave goodbye to me and I head towards my house.

I'm about two minutes from my house when a familiar figure comes into view. Jennifer. "Octavian!" She calls. She runs to me and leaps into my arms. She kisses me, and I feel as if nothing else matters in the world but her.

I've had more girlfriends than I can count, but Jennifer is the only one I truly love. When she laughs, the sun starts to shine brighter. When she cries, the Earth goes dark. A thought crosses my mind that if I die, I will never see Jennifer again, but I push it away quickly. I'm going to win. Then I can marry Jennifer and we'll live happily in the Victor's Village. The thought calms me.

Jennifer leaves to get ready for the Reaping, and I enter my house. My mom waits for me, a sour expression on her face. "What were you doing before?" She asks me suspiciously. I gulp. "I was training." I tell her. "Just like you asked me to." "Your father was out and saw you at the park with your friends." My mom says, scowling. Dang it.

I expect her to scold me, but instead she pulls me into a tight hug. "I just don't want you to die." She whispers. "Don't worry, mom." I tell her. "I'll be back before you know it." My mom sighs and releases me. "You had better get ready quickly." She says. "The Reaping's in forty minutes, and I want to be early."

Ten minutes later, I'm ready to go. I wear a simple black suit and red tie, and my hair has been slicked back. "Where's dad?" I ask my mom. "He's already at the Reaping." My mom explains. "He's making sure everything stays in line." Of course he is. My dad works as a Peacekeeper. He's always making sure people are doing what they're supposed to. You would think that since he's my dad, if I did something wrong, he would let me off easy, but _nooo_. He's the hardest on me. Let me tell you, that can get really annoying at times.

My mom ushers me out the door and we head over to the Reaping. I sign in and stand next to my friends. We talk to each other, but the mood is quieter than usual. We're all a little bit nervous.

Finally, the mayor steps onto the podium. He describes all of the disasters that came upon us before Panem arose, announces the past victors (we've had 13 in all, more than any other district), and finally hands the microphone over to Macklin, our escort. He looks ridiculous, as usual. "Good afternoon, everyone!" Macklin shouts. "Are you ready to see the lucky contenders for this year's games?" Everyone cheers. Macklin goes over to the girls' reaping bowl and grabs one of the names. "I'd like to give a warm welcome to… Reyna Longtri!" He says.

"I volunteer!" Someone yells. It's Juno Armstrong. Everyone's heard of her, but nobody likes her. She looks innocent in a long, pink dress, but that fools no one. People practically run each other over just to get out of her way. Juno is one vicious girl.

After Macklin congratulates her, he strides over to the boys' bowl of names. "Mayhem Ruckus!"

"I volunteer!" I cry. I put on a confident face and stroll towards the stage, in no rush to get to it. Finally, I reach the podium. Macklin gives me a warm congratulations, Juno and I shake hands, the mayor reads the Treaty of Treason, and we go into the Justice Building. I wait in a small room for visitors. After a moment, my parents come to see me. I have no siblings. Sometimes I wish I did.

My mom has tears glistening on her cheeks. She embraces me, telling me that I must come home. I promise her I will. My dad, however, has a very different perspective on things. "You're lucky you get to volunteer." He says gruffly. "Don't screw this up." Then my parents' time is up.

My friends come to see me and give me some words of encouragement. Finally, Jennifer comes in.

"You'll win." She says. It's more of a statement than a question. "I don't see any reason why I wouldn't." I reply. She kisses me, then holds something out in her hand. A lock of her hair. "Use it as your token." She tells me. I grab the hair just as a Peacekeeper comes to tell me our time is up.

I'm taken to the train station. It won't be long before I'm in the arena. I have a moment of doubt. What if I don't come home? What if I die?

 _No_. I'm going to survive. The others won't have a chance.

Or so I hope.

* * *

Juno

I stab the cloth dummy in the gut, then spin and chop off its arm. My knife becomes a blur of destruction. I slash and slice and hack until I am completely out of breath. The dummy lays in pieces at my feet.

I wipe the sweat off my brow and set my knife back on the weapons rack. I can feel eyes on my back and I spin around. It's a small group of twelve year olds, staring at me with wide eyes. I glare at them and they scurry away. Idiots.

I leave the academy and begin the short trek to my house. People scramble to get out of my way. They fear me. Good.

My house comes into view. It's not the worst house in District 2, but certainly not the best, either. The walls are dirty and the shutters are rusty. My parents are almost always busy, so they don't have much time to fix it up. I would try to help, but ever since I was chosen to volunteer for the Hunger Games, I've been extremely busy with training. Of course, I could probably still win even if I didn't train. But a little extra never hurts.

I step into my house and am immediately bombarded by my two younger brothers, Slayte and Remus. They grab on to each of my legs and pull me onto the floor. A laugh tumbles from my lips. I'm much bigger than them, but they're strong. It takes a moment for me to pull them off me.

"Are you excited for the Reaping?" I ask. Slayte and Remus nod vigorously. "Someday, I'm going to volunteer, just like you!" Remus brags, dancing around my legs. "Nuh-uh!" Slayte shoots back. "Not if I volunteer first!" They begin to wrestle, throwing insults at each other. I leave them to their game and head up the stairs to my room. I see that my mom has laid out a flowing pink dress with long, cuffed sleeves. I wrinkle my nose. It's too girly for me, but I put it on anyway. Once the games start, everyone will see that girly is _not_ my thing.

I'm brushing out my long brown hair when I hear the door creak open. My dad walks through, looking tired but happy. I'm a little surprised. My dad almost always works at his stonemason business from morning until night. Even when it's Reaping day, he won't come home beforehand, and he'll get back to work as soon as the Reaping is done. The Capitol is always demanding more from him. I have to admit, it can get really frustrating at times. I've always wanted to like the Capitol, but sometimes, it can be… tricky.

"How's my little volunteer doing?" My dad calls out. I grin and hug him. He's dirty and has dark circles under his eyes, but even so, he has the essence of a god. After a moment, my dad pulls away and asks, "Where's your mom?" "Right here." A voice says from behind me. I spin around. My mom stands there, her blue eyes sparkling. She embraces me and then does my hair in a tight bun. "Are you ready?" She asks me. I smile. "I was born ready." I tell her. Then my family and I head out the door and begin walking towards the Reaping, or what I like to call, the beginning of my victory tour.

Macklin Stewar, our escort, looks completely and utterly ridiculous. He seemed to have tried to die his hair all the colors of the rainbow, but it ended up melding into an ugly brownish-green color. He wears a poofy, bright yellow jacket that is obviously way too big for him, and his pants are bright green and furry. Behind him billows a long, pink cape. I don't understand how even the purest Capitol citizen could consider this outfit stylish.

The mayor says some stuff and then Macklin steps onto the podium. "Good afternoon, everyone!" He says. Despite his idiotic costume, everyone cheers. "Are you ready to see the lucky contenders for this year's games?" More cheers. "Very well!" Macklin says. "Let's pick a girl, then, shall we?" He shuffles around the girls' glass of names for a while, trying to build the tension. Finally, he pulls one out. "I'd like to give a warm welcome to… Reyna Longtri!" He announces.

As soon as he announces the name, I step out of the crowd. "I volunteer!" I call. I walk towards the stage, trying my best to look tough. I'm really starting to regret wearing that dress. Fortunately, my years of shoving, kicking, and punching people has paid off. As I walk, people trample each other just to get out of my way. That'll show the Capitol citizens how fierce I really am.

Macklin slaps me on the back and congratulates me, then moves over to the boys' glass. He plucks a name out and reads it. "Mayhem Ruckus!"

A boy steps out of the crowd, but before he can take two steps, another boy comes forward. "I volunteer!" He calls out. I've seen him now and again at training, but I'm not sure what his name is. He walks towards the stage, a confident look plastered across his face. He seems strong enough, but I think I could kill him easily. It's a shame. He may have had a shot at these games if weren't for me.

Macklin talks to the boy for a few seconds, then cries out, "I give you the tributes of District 2!" There is a chorus of whoops and whistles. The boy and I shake hands. The mayor reads the Treaty of Treason and we are taken back into the Justice Building. I am taken to a room filled with fancy furniture and a silky couch. I sit on the couch until my family comes in. They give me some encouragement, say their goodbyes, and leave. Nobody else comes in. I don't have any friends and don't intend on getting any. I'd much rather have people fear me.

Peacekeepers take me to the train. Cameramen swarm me, filming everything I do. For some reason, this ticks me off. Maybe it's because while my dad is working all day long carving stone, the Capitol citizens are sitting on the couch doing nothing, and yet _they're_ the rich ones, not my dad. I have to do something to get back at them. So I stare straight into the cameras and give the fiercest glare I can muster.

If only looks could kill.

 **So, that was District 2. Thank you to Smiley for Juno Armstrong and somerandomtom for Octavian Grimes. District 3 is coming soon! Here are the questions:**

 **Q1. What color was Juno's hair?**

 **Q2. How many siblings does Octavian have?**

 **I kind of added a thing or two to these characters, like how Juno's mom has blue eyes. Sorry if you didn't want me to! District 3 will be coming soon! Bye!**


	4. District 3 Reaping

**OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG! This chapter took sooooooooooooooo long! I'm so, so, SO sorry for the wait. Whenever I tried to write, the chapter was completely and utterly awful. My final piece is still pretty bad, but it's the best I'm going to do for now. Hopefully my writing will improve later.**

 **Also, just a quick note: Jessica and Scorpius are different ages, but they're in the same grade.**

 **Well, enjoy!**

* * *

Scorpius

I sit in my math class, doodling under my desk. Our teacher, Mr. Robins, is explaining the Pythagorean Theorem, but I don't pay attention. It's not like I need to. I already know everything about it, anyway.

The bell rings and the students all rush to leave. We're being let out early for the Reaping today. I can hear people chattering about how nervous they are. I don't understand why they're so scared. The likeliness of them getting Reaped is about ten thousand to one.

As I walk through the crowded halls, I notice some girls whispering to each other and pointing at me. It's not like this is abnormal. I feel like girls are always looking at me. I can only imagine what they say. Probably that I'm super weird. The thought infuriates me and I give the girls a glare.

I head out of the school and towards my house, keeping my head down. I hate having to be around so many different people. I'd much rather be completely alone.

Finally, I make it to my house. I run inside and check the clock on the wall. 12:39. The Reaping's at 1:00, and it takes about twenty minutes to get there. Which means that I have exactly one minute to get ready. Great. Just great.

I rush to my room and pick out the first outfit I encounter. I quickly slip it on, comb out my hair, and run out the door. I don't bother waiting for my parents. They almost always go straight to the Reaping from their work.

I sprint out of my house and down the street. Sunddenly, I run into a girl. She was one of the girls who was whispering about me before. Her hair lays flatly on her shoulders, and she wears a light pink dress.

"Sorry." I mutter, getting up and brushing myself off. The girl doesn't respond. Anger boils up inside me. What, she thinks she's so superior that she doesn't even have to talk to me? I push past her, frustrated.

I get to the Reaping just in time. A Peacekeeper pricks my finger and I'm directed to the area marked with a 16. I stand there, waiting for the mayor to begin the Reaping, I notice some kids glancing at me. I mentally scream. Why do people have to torment me so much?! Am I really that insane?!

After what seems like ages, the mayor steps onto the podium. "Good afternoon." He says. He reads the history of Panem and announces the victors. There have been a whopping three. Finally, our escort, Drek Hagins, takes the podium. It seems like he attempted to make a District 3 themed costume, but he failed miserably. He wears a ridiculous silver suit and a bright yellow tie. His hair has been dyed a dazzling electric blue, and wires criss cross all over his body. The outfit seems very uncomfortable.

"Hello, everyone." He announces. "Are you ready for the District 3 Reaping?" A few people give a polite clap, but other than that, the square is silent. "Very well." Drek says. "Let's start with the girl." Drek fishes a name out of the glass bowl and reads it. "Jessica Rastik!" The crowd parts, revealing a teary-eyed girl. She was the one I bumped into before and never responded when I told her I was sorry. Good. She got what she deserved.

The girl, Jessica, reaches the stage and Drek asks for volunteers. When none come forward, he congratulates her and strutts over to the boys' glass. He reaches deep into the glass, pulls out a name, and...

"Scorpius Herin!"

I'm shocked. How could this happen? The odds were so slim. How I could I possibly be the one to be Reaped?

 _Calm down, Scorpius._ I order myself. _You're smart. You can win this thing._ I make my legs move me towards the stage.

"Are there any volunteers?" Drek asks. I pray that someone will come forward, but nobody does. "Well, then, congratulations!" Drek says. "District 3, I give you your tributes!" Jessica and I shake hands. The mayor reads the Treaty of Treason. Then Peacekeepers take us into the Justice Building. They throw me into a small room with furniture so old it could have been used before the Hunger Games existed. When I sit down on the couch, A huge cloud of dust springs up and surrounds me. I cough and wave it away.

My parents rush into the Justice Building. They don't waste time crying, like other parents might. Instead, they get right down to business.

"You can win this." My mom says. "You just have to use your mind. You're not strong, but you're smart. That's what matters in the games." My dad nods. "You have to get your hands on some wire at the Cornucopia." He says. "You're incredible with technology. Take andvantage of it." That's all they have time to say before a Peacekeeper tells them their time is up. They give me a quick hug, and then they're gone.

 _I wonder if that's the last time I'll ever see my family._ I think to myself. _No. No, no, no, no._ That kind of thinking will get me nowhere. I have to stay confident.

I don't expect anyone else to see me. After all, I've made no attempt to make friends at school. But suddenly, the door opens and a girl comes in. I've seen her at school from time to time. She looks out of breath.

"Scorpius..." The girl trails off, seeming unsure of what to say. Then she blurts something out so quickly I'm not sure if I hear her correctly. "Scorpius, we'll all be routing for you. Try to make it home." She says. Then she disappears.

I blink, confused. Why would she be routing for me? Why would _anyone_ be routing for me? I'm not close friends with anybody. _Maybe she was just teasing me. Maybe she was being sarcastic._ But I don't think that was it. The girl sounded pretty sincere.

I think back to all the times where I caught people staring at me. I had always thought it was because they thought I was strange. But maybe, just maybe, it was for a different reason...

The Peacekeepers come in to take me to the train station, but I can't get that girl out of my mind. And as I board the train, I have to wonder:

 _Have I been judging everyone incorrectly my entire life?_

* * *

Jessica

"Oh my gosh! I'm _sooo_ nervous for the Reaping!"

My friends and I are talking in a small group by our lockers. One of my friends, Lynn, is ranting on about how terrified she is that she's going to get reaped. She's like this every year. It can get a little irritatting, but most of the time, she's a great friend, so we deal with it.

"I mean, I know the odds are small, but still, what if?" Lynn continues. "And what if one of you were to be reaped? That would be awful! I just can't express how much-" "Hey, guys." I say, cutting Lynn off. I've noticed someone all too familiar. "Look."

Scorpius Herin is walking by, his eyes gleaming in the light. Almost half the girls in the grade have a crush on him, myself included. He's not particulary handsome or charming. But he's just _so_ dark and mysterious. Frankly, he's adorable.

"He's _sooooo_ cute!" My friend Tessa gushes. "I just want to kiss him right now!" Suddenly, Scorpius glances our way. When he realizes we're staring at him, he gives us a fierce glare and hurries off.

We're all silent for a moment. Then Tessa begins to squeal. "Did you see that?" She asks. "He looked right at me! _Right at me_!" I roll my eyes playfully. "You're crazy." I tell her. Then I check my watch. "Guys, it's 12:24." I say. "We should get going." My friends all agree and I walk off.

My house is only a few minutes away, so I have plenty of time when I get there. My mom is waiting for me at the door. "Hey, Jessica." She says. "Mom!" I growl, aggrivated. My name is Jessica, but I hate it, so everybody calls me Jess. Well, everybody except for my mom, that is. She insists on calling me by my full name, no matter what I say or do. It's an argument that's been going on for a long time.

"Well, your father and I named you Jessica, so that's what we should call you!" My mom says defensively. I just roll my eyes and walk past her. I'm not in the mood to argue right now.

I go to my room and pick out a light pink dress for the Reaping. Then I comb out my long blond hair and let it lay on my shoulders. I check the clock. 12:35. Perfect timing.

"Mom! Dad! Are you ready?" I call. "Not yet!" My mom yells back from her room. _Arghhhh_. My mom takes forever to get ready. There's no way I'll make it to the Reaping in time if I wait for her.

"I'm leaving now!" I shout. I run out the door and onto the street. I'm walking down it, humming, when someone rams into me and I fall. I spin around, about to snap at them, when I realize who it is. Scorpius.

"Sorry." Scorpius mutters. I try to say something, but I can't get the words to come out of my mouth. This seems to offend Scorpius and he pushes past me, sprinting down the road. I stare after him and sigh. _Nice one, Jess._

Finally, I make it to the Reaping. I get my finger pricked and am herded into the 17-year old section. I spot my friends and go over to stand by them. Nobody speaks. We're all to nervous.

After the mayor discusses the history of Panem and the victors, our escort comes to the podium. "Hello, everyone. Are you ready for the District 3 Reaping?" A few people cheer. "Very well. Let's start with the girl." I hold my breath as our escort reaches for a name. "Jessica Rastik!"

Tears build up behind my eyes. _No! This can't be happening!_ I walk up to the stage, tears dripping down my face. "Are there any volunteers?" The escort asks, but I know there won't be. There are never volunteers in District 3.

As I expected, nobody volunteers, and our escort picks a boy. "Scorpius Herin!"

Suddenly, going into the Hunger Games doesn't seem to bad. Maybe we could even ally! Being in an alliance with Scorpius almost cancels out the fact that I'm probably going to die.

Almost.

Drek asks for volunteers, and again, there are none. Then Scorpius and I shake hands. His handshake is strong and firm. It sends butterflies soaring through my stomach. The mayor reads out the Treaty of Treason and I am taken to a room inside of the Justice Building. I sit down on the ancient-looking couch. Soon, my parents come in.

"Jess, oh Jess..." My father says, hugging me. "You have to make it home." "I know." I tell him. My mother begins sobbing. "Jessica." She cries. "If... if you don't make it home alive... I want you to know that we both love you. So, so much." I don't even care that she used my full name.

My friends are the next ones to come in. Many of them are crying. Lynn is especially upset. "Jess, I can't believe..." Lynn can't finish her sentence because she'scrying so hard.

My friend Rayla has managed to hold herself together, and she hugs me tightly. "You have to get sponsors." She whispers in my ear. "You're smart enough to get past the bloodbath. But if you don't have sponsors, you're toast." I nod. "But how do I get them?" I ask. "I'm not pretty, charming, or funny. Why would anyone think I could win?"

Rayla never gets to answer, because a Peacekeeper opens the door and orders everybody out. Then I'm taken to the train station. People are surrounding the station. I think I catch a glimpse of my parents, but before I can wave to them, the train pulls up and I'm forced into it. Suddenly, I'm filled with terror. This is probably the last time I will ever see my home.

I hope the train has good food.

 **So, that's it! I currently don't have a District 4 girl (it's reserved), so I can't make the next chapter yet. However, As soon as I get her, I can make the chapter. While I'm waiting, I'll make the POVs for some of the other Districts. Hopefully updates will become quicker. Also, if you want to make a tribute, the only spot left (besides the reserved spots, which will last until the end of tomorrow) is the District 9 male. So if you want to submit a character, do it quickly! Have a great day! :D**


	5. District 4 Reaping

**IMPORTANT NOTE AT THE BOTTOM! PLEASE READ! Well, another giant gap between updates. D: I'm really sorry about this. I've just been really busy lately.**

 **P.S. I haven't gotten any complaints about this yet, but I might soon. Anyway, when you're reading this fanfiction you might find that I've used the same phrase or sentence that you used in your fanfiction. I promise you, I'm not trying to plagiarize. It's just that sometimes after I've read someone's chapter, I use something from it without realizing it. If you notice something like this, please just kindly point it out and move on. Thank you.**

* * *

Nemo

I lie in bed, listening to the waves crashing against the shore. I can smell salt from the breeze that drifts in through my open window. I think about how there's a good chance I'll never see District 4 again. The thought devastates me.

Ever since I was young, my father forced me to train for the Hunger Games. I hated it, but what could I do? If I made even the smallest remark about how I didn't like training, my father scolded me and sent me to my room. Multiple times, I thought about running away, but the Peacekeepers probably would've

found me within the first ten minutes. And then there was Tank.

Tank is my younger brother. Like me, he trains for the Hunger Games, and like me, he despises it. Running away would've meant leaving him, and I just couldn't do that. So here I am, staring up at the ceiling and awaiting the worst nightmare the world could ever dream up: the Hunger Games. I wish there was some sort of way I didn't have to volunteer.

 _Wait a minute. What if there was a way?_ I've heard of times when chosen volunteers chicken out at the Reaping. I could just do the same thing. My parents would be upset, but what could they do to me? It's not like they can kill me. At least, I don't think they can.

I breath a sigh of relief. I' m not going to have to volunteer. The thought calms me and I drift into sleep.

xxx

"Now, son, once you begin your walk to the stage, it's all about the posture." My dad says. He's been lecturing me all morning on how to act at the Reaping. Little does he know that I'm not going to be

doing any of the things that he tells me to.

My mother appears, cutting my dad off. "It's time to get ready for the Reaping." She says. "I've already picked out your outfit." I nod and hurry off, eager to get away from my dad. I see that my mom has laid out a green blazer and black pants with green lines crisscrossing it every so often. I put on the outfit and comb out my hair, and then I'm ready. I look at my reflection in the mirror and take a deep breath. _What if this plan doesn't work?_ I gulp and try not to think about what could happen if I have to

volunteer.

"Are you ready?" My dad calls. "Yep!" I respond. I take one last look at myself, then run down the stairs.

Here goes nothing.

xxx

I bounce up and down on my feet, waiting for th e mayor. Finally, after an interminable amount of time, the mayor comes onstage. He reads off Panem's history and announces all of District 4's victors. We have ten. That's better than all of the outlier districts, but the worst of all the Career districts. For a second, I think about the poor kid who'll be reaped. Having to face the monsters of the Careers...

I force the thought down. No matter how guilty it makes me feel, I have to follow through with my plan. I can't face the terror of the Hunger Games. Even if I survive, which isn't very likely, I'll never be the same again. I can't go into the arena.

Our escort, Anaba Jadger, comes on, smiling and waving. Her purple hair blows slightly in the wind and her sea foam green dress bobs up and down as she walks. She's applied so much makeup to her face,

she looks like some sort of clown.

"Welcome, welcome!" She says. "As you all know, today is the Reaping for the 48th Annual Hunger Games! Now, let's pick a girl." She removes a name from the thousands in the glass jar and says, "Laurali Heridda!"

"I volunteer!" Someone proudly states. The crowds parts and a girl emerges. I think she's an academy trainer's daughter. She heads to the stage.

"Who are you, honey?" Anaba asks her. "Marine Gray." The girl- Marine, I guess- says. As she stands on stage, I see her gazing into the crowd. Finally, her eyes lock on a man, one of the head trainers at the academy, that I assume is her father. She gives him a smug smile.

"Now, for the boy!" I gulp as Anaba reaches into the glass of names. _This is it._

"Tank Fisher!"

I look down at my feet, making no move towards the stage. I can hear whispers of confusion throughout

the audience, but nobody calls me out. This is going great!

Suddenly, I realize what name Anaba called. _Tank Fisher. My brother._ I practically choke. _Why?! Why did he have to be the one to be chosen?!_

I see Tank, bewilderment on his face, as he walks towards the stage. I hesitate. I don't want to go into the games, but to let Tank face them...

"I volunteer!" I shout, pushing through the crowd. "I volunteer as tribute!" Anaba gives a sigh of relief as I run onstage.

"And you're...?" Anaba asks. "Nemo Fisher." I say into the microphone. I hope I don't sound too terrified.

"Very well." Anaba says. "District 4, your tributes!" After the mayor reads the Treaty of Treason, Marine and I shake hands and are taken into the Justice Building. I'm taken into a small room that smells of seaweed. I sit on the plush couch and wait for visitors. It's not long before the door is pushed open.

"Well, you're going to be a bloodbath tribute, that's for sure." My dad says. His face is as red as a tomato, and his fists are clenched. I know what's coming next.

"What were you thinking?!" My dad explodes. "You acted the exact opposite of how I told you to ask! Tell me, what in the blazes was going through your mind there?!"

"I-I..." I try to come up with an excuse, but my mind goes blank.

My dad's face goes from red to dark purple, and he's about to start screaming, but before he can, a Peacekeeper opens the door, signaling my family out.

"Good luck." Tank whispers to me. I blink. I didn't even realize he was there. He holds out his hand as he leaves. In his palm there's a simple shell. "Your token." He says. I grab it right before the door slams shut.

I clutch the shell, trying hard not to cry. I can't bear the thought of never seeing my family again. I'll even miss my father, because even though he's hard on me and pushed me into this mess, I still love him.

I'm soon taken to the train station. I realize that since I blew the Reaping, I should probably try and look confident for the cameras on the train, so I smile and wave.

I hope it will be enough.

* * *

Marine

A buzzer rings in my ear, signaling me to wake up and get out of bed. I groan and rub my eyes. It's 4:55. I don't want to leave my comfy blankets, but I figure I should try to get in some last minute training at the academy. I rub the sleep from my eyes and get up, stretching. I slip on a simple t-shirt and shorts and make my way down the stairs of our house. My father sits at the kitchen table, reading the paper. He looks up at me, then goes back to reading. "Go back to bed." He says gruffly. "You need your beauty sleep." I just glare at him and head over to the counter. I grab a piece of bread and push it into the toaster. Then I pull out a glass from one of the shelves and fill it with orange juice. The toaster dings, meaning my toast is ready. I set it on a plate and sit down at the table.

An awkward silence fills the room. Finally, I speak up. "So, any last minute advice before I volunteer?" I ask. Usually I ignore everything my father tells me, but as much as I hate it, he knows a lot about the Hunger Games. After all, he's a head trainer at the academy. Besides, I need all the help I can get.

My father grunts. "Be a man." He says simply. I scowl. "I'm serious." "So am I." My father states. "Face it- you've got no chance at this thing. Girls just aren't cut out for the Hunger Games." Anger boils up inside me. "I was chosen to volunteer before both of my brothers." I remind him. He shrugs and doesn't respond. "And just last year that girl from ten won by killing the District 2 boy in the finale." My dad stays silent. My patience is quickly waning. "Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm weak!" This time my dad rolls his eyes at me. "Whatever you want to think, sweetie."

That's it. I slam my glass down so hard it shatters, sending glass and orange juice everywhere. Then I push back from the table, stand up, and storm out of the house.

I jog towards the academy, trying to clear my mind. However, I can't get my father out of my head. _The stupid jerk._ He thinks that all girls are weak and not fit for any physical activities. Oh, how I'd love to prove him wrong.

I reach the academy, a towering block of brick and stone. No one's here yet. It's much too early. And anyway, not many people train right before the Reaping.

I grab a knife off the shelf and walk over to the row of dummies near the back wall. I slash downwards and cut off a large chunk of a dummy. Then I move on the next one and jump up, bringing my knife down on it with all my might. The dummy splits in half.

I continue this process for a couple of hours until I can't go on any longer. I glance at my watch. It's 2:37. I have to go home quick. I sprint back to my house, only pausing to catch my breath. Finally, I arrive back at my home. I run inside, ignoring the scolding from my parents, and rummage through my closet. I find a light blue dress that looks nice enough, so I slip it on and run into the bathroom. There, I hastily comb out my hair.

"Let's go!" My father calls. I look at myself in the mirror. My hair still has a lot of tangles in it, but I figure it looks acceptable enough. I call out a goodbye to my parents and leave my house for what could be the last time.

xxx

"Good afternoon, District 4." The mayor, a grumpy old man, says. "Welcome to the Reaping. Let's start this off by reviewing the History of Panem."

I'm tempted to roll my eyes. They explain this every year, and it's _so_ boring. However, I figure there could be cameras trained at my face right now, so I pay complete attention to the speech.

After this, the victors are announced, and then our escort, Anaba, comes up to the stage. "Welcome, welcome!" She says, waving to the crowd. "As you all know, today is the Reaping for the 48th Annual Hunger Games! Now, let's pick a girl." I tense up as Anaba trots to the girls' bowl. "Laurali Heridda!"

"I volunteer!" I yell. I puff out my chest and grin as I make my way towards the stage. "Who are you, honey?" She asks.

"Marine Gray." I say boldly. I catch my father's eye in the crowd and smile smugly at him.

"Now, for the boy!" Anaba reaches down into the pile of names and chooses one. "Tank Fisher!"

There's silence in the crowd. Nobody moves. I blink, surprised. Where's the volunteer?

Suddenly, someone runs forward. "I volunteer!" They say. "I volunteer as tribute!"

I give sigh of relief. For a moment I was worried that I'd have a scrawny weakling as a district partner.

"And you're…?" Anaba questions. "Nemo Fisher." Nemo states. He looks scared, and I'm curious as to whether or not he really wanted to volunteer.

"Very well. District 4, your tributes!"

We listen to the Treaty of Treason. After that, I shake Nemo's hand. I notice that he's sweating severely. Peacekeepers come up to me on either side and take me into the Justice Building, and I'm thrusted into a room filled with old, dusty furniture.

There I wait, but nobody comes to say goodbye. I can't say I'm surprised. I don't have close friends at school because I'm so competitive, and my family and I have a pretty bad relationship. Still, a little part of me was hoping that someone would come. I can't help but feel disappointed.

After a little while, a Peacekeeper comes in to take me to the train. I'm relieved and happily oblige. We board, and as I'm whisked away from my home, I pray that I will come home alive.

 **It feels good to finally update again. I realize I got a little sloppy with that chapter, but I just wanted to post something. I hope you guys understand. Thanks to RandomPerson1818 for both of these tributes!**

 **Anyway, here's the important announcement. UPDATES WILL BE WAAAAAAY MORE INFREQUENT. Like, even more infrequent then they already are. This is because I've started school (*cue horror music*), and it's really hard to keep up with this with all the homework I have. I'll try my best to update as much as possible, but be prepared for long periods of time with nothing posted. However, I'll try and give an update on my profile as much as possible, so if it's been a while and I haven't posted, just look at that. I'm not planning on giving up on this story, but if for some reason I have to, I'll let you know and post one more long chapter explaining what ended up happening in the games. Hopefully it doesn't come to that, though.**

 **I'm pretty sure that's all I need to tell you for now, so here are the questions. First, District 3 because I completely forgot about their questions last chapter. I don't care if you go back and look for the answers because it's been awhile since you read it.**

 **1\. What color dress does Jessica wear to the Reaping?**

 **2\. What is the name of Scorpius' teacher?**

 **Now for District 4:**

 **1\. What color blazer does Nemo wear?**

 **2\. What is Marine's last name?**

 **And that's it! District 5 will hopefully come out soon! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	6. District 5 Reaping

**To RandomPerson1818- I'm really sorry if this isn't what you wanted your character to be like. I've never even heard of schizophrenia until I got your character, so I don't really know what it's like. Please tell me if you don't like the way I wrote about him.**

 **I don't have much else to say here. I do want to give a shout-out to my three regular reviewers- Smiley, IciclePower33, and RandomPerson1818. Thanks so much, guys! Your reviews really make my day!**

 **Anyway, I hope you like this chapter!**

* * *

Wyatt

I sit on a hill, marveling at the scene laid out before me. The sun is setting over a sparkling blue ocean. A herd of horses colored in white and brown and all sorts of other amazing colors graze in a field to the side of me. On the other side, a mess of pink and yellow clouds loom in the sky. I sigh, lying back on the soft green grass, wishing this moment would last forever. And then-

 _Beep! Beep! Beep!_

My eyes flicker open and my mind is immediately invaded by the voices. I try to go back to sleep, to go back to the wonderful world of dreams, but the voices don't let me.

 _Get up._ They whisper. I attempt to block them out, like I have a million times before, but like every time, they won't go away. I grunt and reluctantly roll out of bed. The sun is already high up in the sky. I must have slept later than usual.

I trudge down the rickety stairs to breakfast. Mom and Dad are already there. Mom looks up and gives me a big smile. "Do you want any breakfast, honey?" She says, using the high, slow voice she always uses while talking to me. She thinks I'm mentally disturbed, and I guess I am, but it goes deeper than that. I have Schizophrenia. There are voices inside my head. The doctors don't know that, despite what I tell them. The doctors in District 5 don't know much of anything.

My mom serves me up a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast. It's not that much for the richer people in District 5, but for us, it's a feast. I immediately dig in, savoring the taste. It's not long before my plate has been completely cleared.

"Why don't you go get ready for the Reaping, now, okay?" Mom says. The voices begin hissing at me. _You shouldn't have to go to the Reaping._ They say. I begin trembling. _I have to._ I tell them. _No, you don't._ They argue back. _You have a right to do what you want._ I begin to see their point. They're right! I shouldn't have to go to the Reaping!

 _They're tricking you. Don't listen to them._ A tiny voice says, but it's overpowered by the rest of them. I stand up and announce, "I'm not going to the Reaping." Mom and Dad share a pained expression. "Wyatt." Dad says gently. "I know you don't want to, but you don't have a choice." "I can do what I want, and no one can stop me." I respond. Dad seems to grow more exasperated. "Wyatt, the Peacekeepers could kill you!" _So?_ The voices say. "So?" I repeat. My father stands up from the table. "Wyatt, you _will_ go to the Reaping!"

The voices scream in retaliation, and I begin to tremble. Before I can do anything, however, Dad grabs me and pulls me into my room. I struggle, but I'm not strong, so he easily overpowers me. He shuts the door to my room and locks it.

The voices go crazy. They make me scream and bang on the door. Finally, they begin to quiet down and I collapse, defeated. I look around and realize that I damaged most of my belongings in my rage. All because of an impossible desire to skip the Reaping.

 _It's not impossible._ I hear. The voices. The stupid, stupid voices have done this to me. I turn on them. _What have you done?!_ I shout in my head. _We're helping you._ They respond, then begin laughing. _Go away!_ I tell them. They just keep laughing. _Stop it!_ I'm met with more laughter.

I curl up into a ball and rock back and forth, wishing they would leave. But they don't. Instead, they swirl around my mind, torturing me. I begin to cry. I want all of this to just be over.

Xxx

I wait in the crowd of 17-year-olds. The heat is almost unbearable and makes it hard to think. The voices certainly aren't helping, either. _We told you to just stay home!_ I grit my teeth. I'm not in the mood to have this argument again. _Would you please stop bothering me for a moment?_ I plead. They ignore me and I groan inwardly.

The mayor comes on and reads off the History of Panem. It's extremely boring. Finally, after he describes the victors (there've been 6), our escort, Larido Bodrik, comes sprinting onstage. He wears a crazy silver wig and a black suit with sparkles here and there. He's sweating like crazy, and it looks like he just wants to get the Reaping over with so he can go back into the cool air conditioning.

"Greetings, greetings!" He rasps. "Welcome to the District 5 Reaping! Let's not waste any time rambling and go straight to the Reaping. First, the girl!" He reaches down and grabs a name. "Kala Haggart!"

Kala walks onstage, her face completely expressionless. Larido smiles at her and asks, "Are there any volunteers?" Larido waits a few seconds, but when no one makes a move, he goes over to the boys' bowl. I hold my breath. "Jared Marcit!"

I let out a sigh of relief. It's not me.

And then the voices begin to torment me.

 _Volunteer for him._ They order me. My eyes widen and I shake my head. _No way!_ I say firmly. The voices are _not_ going to make me put my life on the line. But they keep pestering me. _Look at the boy's face! Look how upset he looks!_ I stare at the tears glistening on the boy's cheeks. I hesitate, then shake my head. _I can't!_

 _Says who?_ The voices persist. Larido calls for volunteers. _Do it!_

I think for a split second, then shout, "I volunteer!"

As I walk up to the stage, I realize what I've just done. _Why are you doing this to me?!_ I shout at the voices. _We're helping you out._ They say. _Think of the glory you'll have when you win!_ I pause, imagining living in a Victor's house. Then I realize they're trying to trick me. There's no way I'll be able to win these games.

I consider trying to back out of this mess, but Larido is already beckoning me towards the stage, grinning at me. He's probably overjoyed. District 5 hasn't had a volunteer in years.

"A volunteer!" He says, bouncing up and down. "How exciting!" What's your name?"

"Wyatt Foster Junior." I tell him. "Awesome!" He says. "I'm sure the Capitol is delighted! District 5, your tributes!" The mayor reads off the Treaty of Treason and a Peacekeeper grabs me by the arm. He takes me into the Justice Building and leads me to the first door on the right. He opens the door and shoves me inside, then leaves.

Not long afterwards, the door opens again and my family runs in. They embrace me, and I cry into their shoulder. After a while, Dad looks at me. "Why?" He asks simply. "They made me." I sob. He sighs. "Who? Who made you risk your life?" "The voices! They made me!" I say.

Dad doesn't say anything. Instead, he pulls me back into a hug. There we remain until a Peacekeeper comes. "Time's up." He pulls my parents off of me and forces them through the door.

No friends come to visit me. I don't have friends. Everybody stays away from me at school. Soon, a Peacekeeper grabs me and takes me to the train. As I leave the only home I've ever known, I think about the boy I volunteered for. How relieved he and his family must feel. Thinking of that almost makes up for the fact that in a few weeks, I'll most likely be dead.

Almost.

* * *

Kala

I sit at my desk, my pen hovering over an empty sheet of paper. I try to think of something to write, but I come up blank. It's just too hard to think when the Reaping's right round the corner. Besides, I can't concentrate when my sister, Luan, is screaming at my parents in the other room.

I throw the pen down and sit back in my chair, frustrated. I would leave to find a place more peaceful to work in, but to do that I'd have to walk straight through Luan and my parents' argument. I'm afraid of what they'll say to me if I do that.

I contemplate my options. I could stay home and be bored the entire day. Or I could leave and risk facing the wrath of my family. I decide to take the risk.

I slip out of my bedroom and down the hall to the kitchen. There, my family stands, yelling at each other and waving their arms around in exaggerated motions. I wait until their backs are turned, then attempt to slip out the front door. However, my mom spots me before I can.  
"And where are YOU going?!" She shouts. "I was just…" I trail off, unsure of what to say. "Well, you're not going anywhere, you lazy, good-for-nothing slob!" My mom tells me. "You're going to stay right here!" I nod quickly, scurry back to my room, and collapse on my bed. Tears build up behind my eyes. I know my mom doesn't mean that. She's probably just stressed out from work. Still, it stung. Add that to the fact that the Reaping is today, and it's too much.

Tears begin trickling down my cheeks. I sigh. This is going to be a long day.

xxx

I pull on a dark blue dress, the only nice thing in my small wardrobe. The shouts of my family have long since quieted down. After combing out my curly black hair, I glance at myself in the mirror. I figure I look nice enough, so I creep out of the house. I live in the outskirts of town, so it takes me a long time to get to the Town Square where they host the Reaping. As I get closer, I begin to see more and more people heading in the same direction. I stare at the ground, careful to avoid looking at anyone.

I step in line to get my finger pricked. I'm somewhat early, so there aren't many other people around. A Peacekeeper grabs hold of my finger and sticks his needle into it. I wince. He presses my finger into the book and waves me through. I walk past him and file into the 16-year-old section. There, I wait for the Reaping to begin.

After a while, the mayor comes onstage. "Welcome, welcome." He says. "I'm sure you're all ecstatic for this year's Hunger Games. But before we begin, let's review Panem's history."

I moan. This is extremely boring, and they talk about it every year. But I suppose it's better than watching two children being carried off to die, one of which could be me.

After the mayor finishes the speech, he announces our victors. We've had a few, six to be exact, although one of them died from disease. It's not as good as, say, a Career district, but it's better than some other districts.

When the mayor's done talking, our escort comes onstage. He gives a strained smile. I can tell he's dying from the heat.

"Greetings, greetings!" He greets us. "Welcome to the District 5 Reaping! Let's not waste any time rambling and go straight to the Reaping. First, the girl!" He reaches down and grabs a slip of paper. I pray that it's not me. "Kala Haggart!"

 _Oh, no._

I want to break down sobbing right here, but I know that I won't make a good impression on potential sponsors that way. So I purse my lips and walk calmly to the stage, keeping a straight face. "Are there any volunteers?" Larido asks. I know there won't be, but I'm still disappointed when no one steps forward. Larido heads to the boys' bowl and announces, "Jared Marcit!"

I hear someone burst into tears. Jared, a tiny boy with scruffy black hair, takes tentative steps to the stage, crying softly. I suspect he's a twelve year old. There's no way he'll get past the bloodbath.

"Are there any volunteers?" Larido asks. I expect there to be silence, but suddenly, a voice rings out from the crowd. "I volunteer!"

There are whispers of surprise as the boy, who looks scrawny and weak, comes forward. We haven't had a volunteer in years. Larido smiles as he comes to stand next to him. "A volunteer! How exciting! What's your name?"

"Wyatt Foster Junior." The boy says into the microphone. I blink, shocked. I've heard of Wyatt. He's in the grade above me. There have been lots of rumors about him, saying he's mentally ill. I wonder if they're true.  
The mayor reads the Treaty of Treason. I feel something tug at my arm, and I turn around to see that a Peacekeeper is dragging me into the Justice Building. I don't try to struggle. It won't help.

I'm thrown into a room of fancy furniture. I look around in awe and can't help but think how much money was spent on it. My guess is that it would feed more than a few starving families for a long time.

My family members come rushing in and throw their arms around me. I let the tears begin to flow, sobbing my heart out. My dad pats me on the shoulder. "It's okay." He whispers. "It's all going to be okay." I nod, even though I know that it's not true. After a moment, Luan pulls away and takes out a pen. "Here." She says. "I know you love writing, so I thought it would be good for your token. She begins to cry. I tighten my grip around her and refuse to let go, even when a Peacekeeper comes in to tell us that our time is up. Two more Peacekeepers come in and pry Luan off of me. She screams and thrashes against their arms, but they're too powerful for her. I watch, crying, as the Peacekeeper slams the door shut again.

After a little while, a Peacekeeper grabs me and pulls me towards the train station. I don't bother to hide the tears on my face, even though multiple cameras are trained on me. What's the point, anyway? I know I won't live through the Hunger Games. There's no way.

As I'm taken onto the train and whisked away, I give a little wave to my home.

Goodbye, District 5.

 **Thanks to RandomPerson1818 for Wyatt Foster Junior (I made Kala). :)**

 **Questions:**

 **What is Kala's token?**

 **What mental illness does Wyatt have?**

 **I feel like I need to tell you guys something, but I don't remember what it is, so I guess I'll see you later!**


	7. District 6 Reaping

**The District 6 Reaping is here! I hope you like it. :)**

 **I think that I'm going to start updating around once every other week (although don't be surprised if I don't update for longer than that). I know that that's a long time without writing anything, but school has made me very busy. Plus, it's getting harder and harder to write about the Reapings. They just get sooooo boring. Once we finish the Reapings, updates should become much more frequent.**

 **Oh, and by the way, this chapter kind of sucks. Just thought I'd warn you.**

* * *

Nathan

I move into a more comfortable position on the couch, reading. I stare, wide-eyed, at my book, _Stars From the Ashes_. It's about a poor girl from District 12 named Diali Hidin who dreams of becoming an actor for the Capitol. It's not the greatest, but there isn't a huge book selection here in District 6, so I read it anyway.

I hear the creak of the door. Mom and Dad walk in, looking tired. I run over to them and hug them. Mom gives me a kiss on the forehead. "How was your day? I ask them. "Exhausting." Dad grunts, crashing on the sofa. I ask them the same question every day, and it's always the same response. My parents work for long hours at PanemRail, a company that manages the trains in the districts. They make a sufficient amount of money, but the job weighs them down.

"Why are you home early?" I ask my parents. Usually, they don't get home until late at night. "We got let out early because of the Reaping." Mom explains. "Speaking of which, you should probably get ready for that." I check my watch and jump. It's 5:37. The Reaping begins at 6:00. I guess I was so caught up in reading that I didn't notice the time.

I run upstairs and down the hallway to my room. I pass Sandy's room on the way, and my face darkens a little bit. Sandy's my half-sister. She's 25 years old, but she still lives here. My family has always liked me more than her, and that makes her hate me. She's addicted to morphling.

I shake the thought from my head as I race into my bedroom. There, I rummage through my closet, searching for an acceptable outfit. I find a plain white t-shirt and slip it on. I also pull on beige pants, and to top it off, I find a dark blue dinner jacket. I rush to the bathroom and hurriedly comb out my messy dark hair.

"Come on, you're going to be late!" My dad calls. "Coming!" I shout. I sprint out of the bathroom and almost crash into my grandmother. She steps back, surprised. "Sorry, grandma." I say, dancing around her and running down the stairs. "I'm leaving!" I shout. Then I sprint out the door and onto the street.

xxx

I wait in the long line of kids to get my finger pricked. The line moves forward ever so slowly. Finally, I get to the front of the line. A peacekeeper grabs my finger and pricks it. I let out a small yelp. He presses my finger into a book and waves me through. I find my place in the 13 year old section and patiently wait for the mayor to come onstage. After a moment, he comes on, beaming with enthusiasm.

"Welcome!" He exclaims. "I bet you're all very excited for the Reaping, but unfortunately, we first have to cover a few other things. First, let's review your victors!" I clap as he calls out the name of each one. We have a total of four.

After this, the mayor reviews Panem's history. Finally, the escort, Raeka Moriss, comes on. "Welcome, all!" She says. "Now, who all is excited for today's Reaping?" Only a few people clap. Raeka looks discouraged by this, so I decide to give her a light applause.

Raeka smiles and skips over to the girls' glass of names. "As always, ladies first." She says. She extracts a name from the bowl. "Livia Fleet!"

A somewhat small girl comes forward. She has dirty blond hair and a few freckles on the bridge of her nose. It looks as though she's trying to keep her face expressionless, but I can tell she's terrified. "Are there any volunteers?" Raeka asks. As usual, nobody says anything. Raeka smiles at Livia, then proceeds to choose a name from the boys' glass. She unfolds it at a sickeningly slow pace. I tap my foot against the ground impatiently. I wish she would just hurry up and read the name so that I can get back to reading.

"Nathan Hayes."

It feels as though my body has turned to lead. I begin sobbing uncontrollably. _How could it have been me?_ My mind screams. My name was only in that bowl twice. The chances were so slim...

I slowly begin making my way to the stage, tears still pouring from my eyes. Finally, I reach Raeka. I'm dimly aware of her asking for volunteers. I begin to hope that maybe, just maybe, someone's taken pity on me. To my dismay, however, no one moves a muscle.

The mayor reads the Treaty of Treason and Livia and I are taken into the Justice Building. I make no attempt to stop the tears, even though I know they won't help me in the Hunger Games. Then again, nothing I say or do will help me in the Hunger Games.

I sit on the couch in the room the Peacekeepers assigned me. Soon my family comes barreling in. They hug me, crying their eyes out. My grandmother whispers comforting words in my ear, how it's going to be alright, how everything will work out in the end. I never want to let go of them. I don't want to lose my family.

Someone clears their throat behind me. I release my family and trun. Sandy stands there. She bites her nails, something she always does when she's nervous. "Nathan, I..." Sandy trails off. She looks like she's about to burst into tears, but she manages to keep herself together. "I just want to say that I love you."

Strangely, this makes me angry. "No, you don't." I snap. "I know you've never liked me. You're just saying that." This time, Sandy begins crying. She embraces me. "That's not true." She tells me. We hug each other for a moment, not bothering to say anything. Then Sandy pulls away and looks me in the eye. "Try to win." She says. "If not for me, then for them." She nods towards the rest of my family. "We couldn't handle if you were to... to..." Sandy breaks down crying again.

I figure it'll only make the situation worse if I tell her that I can't win these games. "I promise." I whisper to her. Just then, two Peacekeepers come in and order my family out. They go without protesting.

After a few friends visit me, a Peacekeeper takes me to the train station. As I board, I suddenly realize that I will never finish _Stars From the Ashes._

For some reason, this is what upsets me most.

* * *

Livia

I sit outside in the grass, enjoying the cool breeze against my skin. The sun shines down on me. I can hear the clanging of metal and the grunts of the workers as they work in the factories, making trains and cars and who knows what. I take a deep breath, breathing in the fresh scent of the leaves. This would be a great day if it weren't for the Reaping.

Thinking about the Reaping makes my stomach churn in fear. I lay back, trying to think peaceful thoughts, but I can't. My mind is filled with terror for the day to come.

After a moment, I give up trying to relax and walk inside my tiny house. I walk down the hall and into the kitchen, where I see my parents having a quiet argument. They both stop upon seeing me. My mom gives a strained smile, clearly still peeved from her argument with my dad. "Hi, honey." She says. "Hi." I respond, walking to the counter and grabbing a loaf of stale bread, one of the only foods we currently have in this house. I cut off a small piece for myself and sit at our small table. "Are you nervous for the Reapings?" My mom asks me. "Yes." I say honestly. "I'm terrified." I begin wolfing down my bread, despite the irritated look from my mom. Within seconds, my plate is empty.

"You should probably go and get ready for the Reaping." My dad says. "It's 5:03." I nod and stroll down the hall to the bedroom that my parents and I all share. The Reaping doesn't start for an hour, but my family lives on the outskirts of the district, so it's a long walk to the town square. I search through my meager pile of clothes for something to wear. Finally, I find a purple, sleeveless dress. I pull it over my head and walk to the bathroom. I comb out my dirty blond hair and pull it up into a tight bun where it's out of my way. I look at myself in the mirror for a few seconds, decide I look okay, and run downstairs. My parents are waiting for me by the door. "Ready?" My mom asks. I shrug. "I guess." I say. She smiles and we head to the town square.

xxx

My parents try to make small talk with me as we walk to the Reaping. I really don't feel like saying anything, but I answer their questions anyway. Finally, we come to the long line of kids waiting in line to get their finger pricked. I tell my parents goodbye and walk over to the line. There, I anxiously drum my fingers against my thigh as the line inches forward.

After what feels like an eternity, I get to the front. A Peacekeeper roughly grabs my hand and presses a needle into my finger. I resist the urge to cry out. The Peacekeeper takes my finger and presses it into the book in front of him. Then he waves me past.

I walk into the section marked with a 15. A group of girls chat nervously beside me. I bite the inside of my cheek, waiting for the mayor. After a while, he comes up to the stage.

"Welcome! I bet you're all very excited for the Reaping, but unfortunately, we first have to cover a few other things. First, let's review your victors!" The mayor says, smiling at us. He names all the victors, reads Panem's history, and sits down. Then our escort, Raeka, comes up to the microphone. She gives the crowd a huge grin. "Welcome, all!" She calls out. "Now, who all is excited for today's Reaping?" The crowd is mostly silent. Raeka gives a small frown, then regains her posture. "As always, ladies first!" Raeka strides over to the girls' bowl. My heart pounds against my chest. I think about all the tesserea that I took out. In total, my name is in the bowl 36 times. My parents have no idea that I took so much.

Time stands still as Raeka grabs a name and unfolds it. I hold my breath. "Livia Fleet."

I grit my teeth to keep from sobbing. _Why me?_ There's no way I'll survive the games. Even if I manage to get past the bloodbath, which is unlikely, I'll never be able to survive against the Careers. I'm going to die.

I manage to make my feet move towards the stage. I try to look brave, but I think I seem more horrified than couragous. Raeka congratulates me and says something about how she's sure I'll do great in the games, but I don't really hear her. Then she chooses a boy from the bowl of names. "Nathan Hayes!"

A boy begins sobbing, slowly coming forward. He makes no attempt to stop the tears flowing from his eyes. He looks a bit overweight, with light brown skin, dark eyes and hair, and glasses. I have a feeling he'll be a bloodbath.

Raeka introduces us as the male and female tributes of District 6, and the mayor reads off the Treaty of Treason. A hand grabs me by the arm. I realize a Peacekeeper is pulling me into the Justice Building. I reluctantly obey, and he pushes me into a room. I stare in wonder at the fancy furniture fillng the room. I've never seen so much wealth in one place.

My family runs in, wrapping their arms around me. I sob, my cries echoing around the room. "I'm so sorry." My dad whispers to me, again and again. His words only make me cry harder.

Finally, my parents pull back. My mom gently wipes away my tears. "Don't cry." She whispers. "You have to stay calm. It'll help you gain sponsors." I shake my head. "No, it won't." I tell her. "Nothing will help get me sponsors. I have nothing special about me." My mom scoffs. "Of course you do!" She exclaims. "You're one of the smartest kids in your grade. And you're very pretty. You can do this." My mom looks like she's going to say something else, but a Peacekeeper bursts in before she can. "Time's up." He says. He grabs my parents and drags them out of the room.

I wait for another minute on the couch. It isn't long before my best friend, Riley, comes in. She blinks back tears and embraces me. "You can win." She says. "You just have to play the game right." I sigh. I want to believe her so badly, but I don't dare get my hopes up. I know, deep down, that I have no chance. Still, I tell her I will. She nods, satisfied, and doesn't protest when a Peacekeeper comes in to tell her that her time's up. A few of my other friends come in, but they don't say much. Soon, a Peacekeeper comes to take me to the train. I purse my lips and put on my best emotionless expression. I pay no attention to the cameras as I walk out of the Justice Building and onto the train. I need to show them that I don't care about any of this, that it's all beneath me.

I gulp as the train pulls away from the station. From now on, I have to be perfect. I can't afford to screw up. I must make the Capitol like me.

My life depends on it.

 **Well, that's it. We're halfway through the Reapings! (throws confetti) Only six more to go... *sigh***

 **Also, please be aware that the Reapings will probably be crappy from here on out. I am sooo sick of them and I just want to get them over with. The pre-games chapters will be much better, I promise.**

 **Questions:**

 **1\. What color hair does Livia have?**

 **2\. What book does Nathan read?**


	8. Why We Fight (Mid-Reapings Special)

**Yo, yo, yo! This is NOT a Reaping. I decided that both me and you needed a break from them, so I decided to make a quick little POV in the eyes of a District 13 citizen. This will be the first (and probably last) time you see him. I have plans to make some other POVs with a Capitol citizen. Anyway, I thought this would just be a nice little "bonus chapter". It's short, but I hope you like it anyway!**

* * *

Gordon Atris, District 13 (formally District 5), 32

I lie back in my small cot. My wife, Leah, lies next to me, coughing. The room is cold, and I wrap my arms around my legs to keep from freezing. I can hear the faint cry of a child a few rooms over. I think back to my life in District 5. Even in the worst of times, the conditions there weren't nearly as bad as they are here in District 13.

Six years ago, I escaped from District 5 with a group of sixteen other people. We thought that there was more to life than Panem and planned to join District 13, which we believed still existed. However, things went downhill ever since we left. By the time we had reached District 13, only me and three other people were still alive. Soon after we entered District 13, a deadly disease began to spread, killing many of the citizens. Not only that, but many of the crops began to die, leaving only a small amount of food.

The only good thing that came out of life in 13 was Leah. She's the only reason I've stayed here for all these years. I met her about a year after I came here. We fell in love immediately, and about one year later, we got married. We were lucky for a while. Neither of us got sick, and we managed to keep from starving. Then Leah became ill. At first, it was only a small cold, but her condition just got worse and worse. Now, she can barely manage to even get out of bed.

An announcement comes on in our room. It says that all who are able must come to the center of our district in one hour. There's some sort of mandatory viewing. I sit up, intrigued. _What could it be?_

Leah groans next to me. She begins to sit up, but I gently push her back down. "What's going on?" She murmers groggily. "Nothing." I whisper. "I'm going to leave, but I'll be back in a little while. Just rest." She nods and flops back onto our bed. I step onto our hard tile floor and quietly push open the door. Then I begin to walk to the assembly. Other people have also begun to come out of their rooms. They walk down the halls. Some are covered in red spots. Others are so skinny they seem to look like skeletons. A few carry infants. Some have large bouts of sneezing. I even spot one or two that have a fake arm or leg.

I join the crowd and begin to walk to the center of District 13, the place where the viewing will be held. The people I walk with seem to move in a zombie-like way, like they have no control over their bodies. Their eyes are lifeless. After years of death and sadness, we have no hope left.

Finally, we reach the center, a huge cavern. I scan over the crowd and realize with alarm that it's incredibly small. There are only about a hundred of us left. If we can't get this district back to normal, we'll all die.

The president, Dee Manathe, walks up to the podium at the front of the cavern. She herself has become seriously ill and looks to be made of nothing but skin and bone.

"Good morning." She wheezes. "The reason I have called you here today is because back in the districts, the Reapings are happening."

The Reapings. I had forgotten about the Reapings. _But why show them now?_ President Dee has never shown us any of the Reapings in the past.

A giant TV is rolled to the front of the cavern. The President clicks a button, and the Reapings begin to play.

The crowd watches as the escort from each district chooses two innocent children to compete in the Hunger Games. My heart breaks when I see District 5. The poor girl that's chosen tries to act brave, but I can see the terror in her eyes. The boy volunteers, which confuses me. He looks scrawny and weak, in no shape to be a tribute in the Hunger Games.

 _Maybe the Reaped boy was a family member._ I think. The thought makes me seethe with rage.

As the video plays, President Dee begins to speak. "Twenty three of these children will not leave these games alive." She says. She pauses, letting the crowd think over this.

"Twenty three children will not be able to grow up." She continues. "Twenty three children will never get married, have kids, live life to the fullest. Twenty three children will never see their families again. All for the Capitol's entertainment."

"Some of you may want to give up, to stop trying. Some of you may think that life would be better if we did nothing to stop the Capitol. Well, this-" President Dee gestures to the screen, where the District 6 Reaping is now taking place- "This is why we don't give up. This is why we keep surviving. This is why we resist the Capitol, no matter the cost." As she speaks, the crowd begins to stir. Their dead eyes regain a little bit of life. A few even begin to cheer.

President Dee's voice grows louder, echoing across the cavern. "And to whoever thinks that it's pointless to keep going on, think again. Because this right here, this cruelty that the Capitol serves us, year after year, it has to stop. And we're the only ones with the power to stop it."

"This is why we fight!"

 **And that's it! I have two opinion questions for you, but they're only worth half of the usual points.**

 **Questions:**

 **1\. Out of all the tributes you've seen so far, which one was your favorite (not including yours)?**

 **2\. Out of all the tributes you've seen so far, who do you think will go the farthest (you can put your own tribute for this one)?**


	9. District 7 Reaping

**Holy cow! This was a lot longer than some my other chapters! It's not because these two characters are going to be the victor or anything (though they might, you never know), I just had a lot to say about them. I hope you like this!**

* * *

Verin

It's a perfect night. The moon is shining, no clouds to cover it up. I can smell the faint stench of the trees not too far from where we live. The world is completely silent, like everything in it has been frozen in time. Everything except for me, that is. Despite the perfect weather, I can't fall asleep. I keep tossing and turning in bed. Then again, it's hard to rest when you know that soon, you'll be heading off to your almost certain death.

15 years ago, the Capitol accused my father of starting a rebellion and executed him. They considered killing the rest of my family, as well, but then decided that they would instead force me to volunteer when I was eighteen. I was only three at the time. The fact that they could doom a three-year-old to death without breaking a sweat sickens me.

I don't expect to be able to fall asleep, but eventually, exhaustion takes over and I drift into a dream.

xxx

I yawn and rub my eyes. The morning sun shines through my window, lighting up my room. Under normal circumstances, I'd fall back asleep right now, but today is no normal circumstance. I plan to spend as much time with my family as possible before I head off to my death.

I creep down the stairs and down the hall to the kitchen. When I reach it, I find that my mom is already there. She smiles and wheels over to where I'm standing in her wheelchair. After a working accident, she became paralyzed from the waist down, so she has to use a wheelchair to get around.

"Are you excited for today?" My mom asks me. "Oh, yeah, definitely." I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "I get to volunteer to be thrown into an arena where I'll most likely die in, and if I do come out alive, I'll never be the same again. So excited." My mom sighs and hugs me. "Don't be so negative." She scolds. "Things could be worse." I'm tempted to argue that things could _not_ be worse, but I figure my mom could use some positivity in her life, so I hold my tongue.

"Why don't you eat some breakfast?" My mom suggests. "I think we might have some bread." I nod and make my way toward the shelf. I open it up and grab the loaf. Then, I cut off a thick piece of it. Normally, I'd make sure to cut off as thin of a slice as I could so that the rest of my family could have more, but I figure there's not much point. After all, today will be my last day in the house. I might as well have a full meal.

My older sister, Vera walks into the kitchen. She has dark bags under her eyes, like she didn't sleep at all last night. She tries to give me a smile, but it ends up looking more like a look of devastation than anything else. 'Are you ready?" Vera asks, not bothering to keep the sadness out of her voice. I shrug. "I guess." I say. She nods and walks to the living room, where our small TV sits. She grabs the remote and begins scanning the channels, all of them discussing the upcoming Reaping.

I finish eating and take my plate to the sink. After washing it out, I walk into the living room and plop down on our couch next to Vera. She's watching an interview with Caesar Flickerman and the Head Gamemaker, Drago Malik. "So, Drago, what's the arena going to be like this year?" Caesar asks. Drago gives a sly smile. "Well, I don't want to give any spoilers, now do I?" He says. "However, I will tell you that this is going to be a very exciting Hunger Games. There'll be plenty of mutts, tons of challenges for the tributes, and best of all, a whole lot of blood." Caesar chuckles. "Good to know." He says.

I grab the remote from Vera and turn the TV off in frustration. They talk about killing like it's some sort of game. It disgusts me.

I stand up and head out the door. It's only 2:51. The Reaping doesn't begin until 5:00. Still, I can't stand being cooped up in my house. I have to get a breath of fresh air.

I stroll towards the forest where I like to walk when I'm stressed out, taking a deep breath. My mind is whirling around at a million miles an hour, but it slowly begins to slow down as I walk. Still, I can't get the Reaping out of my mind. I sigh and sit on a rock. I suppose there's no point thinking about it. I'm going to volunteer. That's that.

Still, my mind is filled with fear at the prospect that this will be the last time I ever see my home.

xxx

"Welcome, everybody, welcome!" The mayor, a cheery old man with white hair and rosy cheeks, says. "I know you're all extremely excited about the Hunger Games, am I right?" He pauses as if he's expecting a huge round of applause at this, but the town square is silent.

The mayor reviews Panem's history, then announces our victors. We have six, although one of them died. Then, he steps down from the podium.

The stage is completely empty. I crane my neck, trying to find the escort, but she's nowhere to be found. I heard we have a new one this year. Whoever she is, I wish she would just hurry up already. I want to get this Reaping over with.

I look down at myself. I'm wearing a simple black suit with a red tie, and my hair has been neatly combed out. I tried to make myself look as good as possible to attract sponsors. I hope it'll be enough.

Suddenly, the escort, Fialla Hemmin, bursts onstage, beaming with enthusiasm. "Hello, District 7!" She says. "And welcome to the Reaping for the 48th HUNGER GAMES! Now, who all is excited?" Nobody cheers, but Fialla pretends like we did. "That's _great_! Now, let's choose a girl to represent your district." I pay close attention as she struts over to the girls' bowl and chooses a name. I want to know who my District partner will be. "Carlina Trask!"

A thin girl walks out of the 15 year old section, looking like she might burst into tears. She begins to hiccup, which I find a bit odd. She wears her blond hair in a bun and she has greenish-blueish eyes. She doesn't seem very strong, and I could probably beat her in a fight.

Fialla smiles and asks for volunteers. When there's no response, she moves to the boys' bowl. Every muscle in my body tenses up. "Ronan Horris!"

"I volunteer!"

I throw my shoulders back and walk confidently to the stage, giving the cameras a savage grin. On the inside, I feel like killing everyone in the Capitol, but if I want sponsors, I have to act like I want to volunteer.

Fialla squeals. "A volunteer! How perfect! What's your name, honey?" I lean over to the microphone and speak with all the confidence I can muster. "Verin Fleras." I say. "Incredible! I have no doubt in my mind that we'll have a victor in District 7 this year!" Fialla responds with a happy smile. She looks about ready to burst with excitement.

After the Treaty of Treason is read, Carlina and I are taken into the Justice Building. I sit in the room I'm assigned to. My mom and Vera come in almost immediately.

My mom kneels down in front of me and looks me straight in the eye. "Verin, you have to win. You _have_ to. Please. Win." I try to respond, but my voice cracks. I give a tiny nod. She takes something out of her pocket and hands it to me. It's a small compass pin. "You'll always find your way home, even in times of darkness." She says, tears in her eyes. "Use this to remind you of that." I take the pin.

Vera sighs, staring at me with a pained expression in her eyes. Then she leans down and gives me a quick hug. "You can do it." She chokes out. "You're going to come home with a ton of money and we'll never have to work again." Before she can continue, a Peacekeeper comes in. My family leaves without complaining.

The next person to come is my one and only friend, Krane. He struts in, the same goofy smile on his face, but I can see the sadness in his eyes. "You're going to do great." He tells me, giving me a pat on the back. "In a few weeks, you'll be back home." I roll my eyes. "Krane, I'm going to be going up against experienced killers." I remind him. He just shrugs as if this makes no difference. "Don't worry, man." He says. "You'll survive." I just shake my head and smile. Krane always manages to stay positive, even in the worst of times.

The door creaks open. "Time's up." A Peacekeeper grunts. Krane gives me a fist bump and begins to walk out. "Enjoy the Capitol!" He shouts as the door slams close.

Soon, I'm taken to the train. Cameras crowd around me, wanting to capture anything and everything interesting I do. I smile and wave. I don't want to do this, but if I have to in order to get home to my family, then I will.

I don't care what I have to do to win. All I know is that I must win.

* * *

Carlina

"Ow!"

I hit the ground hard getting the wind knocked out of me. My twin sister, Vanina, lands on top of me. She pins me down, and despite my attempts to escape, I can't seem to get out of her grasp. Vanina giggles. "I won again." She taunts me. I just roll my eyes. "Whatever." I say. Vanina smiles and begins to get off of me, but as she stands, I swing my leg at her feet, tripping her. Before she has time to react, I'm on top of her. I give a triumphant grin. "Never let your guard down." I tell her.

"Girls, lunch is ready!" My dad calls. Me and Vanina leap to our feet and rush inside our house. Sitting on the table are three plates filled to the brim with eggs, toast, and bacon. My eyes widen at all the food. Normally we don't eat this much in an entire day. Vanina and I immediately dig in. The food is delicious, and in mere seconds, my plate is completely cleared. I sit back, satisfied.

"Was it good?" My dad asks. I nod vigorously. "It was the best meal I've ever had!" I tell him. My dad beams with pride at this. He sits down and begins to eat. "So, are you two nervous for the Reaping?" He asks. My heart sinks at the mention of the Reaping. I forgot that it was today.

"I'm sure we won't be picked." Vanina says, but I can tell she's trying hard to stay positive. "You won't." My dad assures us. "You don't have to worry." I nod, but I can't help but still feel a little bit anxious.

My dad glances at the clock. "It's 3:32." He says. "You should probably get ready soon." I nod in acknowledgment. Vanina pushes back from the table. "I bet I can beat you to the top of the stairs." Vanina challenges, then races off before I have time to respond. "Hey!" I shout. "That's not fair!" I run after her, laughing.

However, I can't shake the feeling that this will be the last Reaping I'll ever go to.

xxx

I let out a long breath and spread my arms out, soaking in the sunlight as I walk to the Reaping, my dad and Vanina beside me. I'm wearing a light blue, knee-length dress with a white jacket. It's somewhat casual, but these are the nicest clothes I have.

"Hey, Carlina!" A familiar voice shouts. I turn and spot some of my friends on the side of the road. One of them, Lizzy, is waving me over to where they're standing. I look at my dad. He smiles. "Go ahead." He says. I grin and say a quick thank you before running off to join my friends.

We walk to the Reaping together, talking and laughing. We're not as energetic as usual, though. The Reaping is hanging over our heads like a bomb about to explode.

Suddenly, Lizzy nudges me and points across the street, giggling like mad. "Carlina, look!" She says. "It's Jakob!" My face darkens at the mention of Jakob. I follow her gaze and spot him, flirting with some girl. I grit my teeth and look away. Jakob and I used to go out, but he was a jerk and flirted with just about every girl he came across, so I broke up with him. I don't regret my decision, but still, it can sometimes hurt a little bit to see how quickly he's gotten over me

Lizzy must see the frustration on my face, because she gives me a pat on the back. "Don't worry. Jakob's an idiot. He doesn't deserve you anyway." I smile and give her a grateful look. Still, I don't say much the rest of the walk to the Town Square.

After a while, we reach the line of people waiting to get their finger pricked. We're a little bit early, so we get to the front fairly quickly. A Peacekeeper takes ahold of my finger and jams a needle into it. I let out a small yelp of pain. He presses my finger into the book in front of him and waves me through. I walk past him and into the 15 year old section, where a few of my friends are already standing. We talk in hushed tones as we wait for the Reaping to begin.

After about fifteen minutes, the mayor begins to speak. He reviews Panem's history (which is the most boring thing in the entire world) and introduces our victors. Then he sits down, and after a moment, Fialla, our escort, comes running onstage. She wears a green wig and a dark brown gown. She also has green and brown makeup on her face. "Hello, District 7!" She says, almost glowing with happiness. To this day, I will never understand the Capitol's fascination about sending kids to an arena to die.

Fialla says a few other things, then announces that she'll choose a girl. I gulp and begin to pray that she doesn't choose my name. Fialla slowly unfolds the slip of paper she's chosen.

"Carlina Trask!"

My mouth hangs open in shock, and I begin to hiccup, a nervous habit I have. I consider staying right where I'm at, but my friends are already making a pathway for me up to the stage. I sigh and begin to make my way towards Fialla. Once I reach the stage, Fialla asks for volunteers. Unsurprisingly, nobody says anything. I choke back a sob.

Fialla moves to the boys' bowl and selects a name. Then she walks back over to the microphone and reads it aloud. "Ronan Horris!"

"I volunteer!" A confident voice shouts. All heads turn to a boy walking out of the section marked with an 18. He strides to the stage, not looking the least bit worried. "A volunteer!" Fialla says, squealing with excitement. "How perfect! What's your name, honey?" "Verin Fleras." The boy says. He gives the cameras a smirk. He's tall and well-built, with spikey brown hair and green eyes. I gulp. To survive, I might have to kill him.

The Treaty of Treason is read, and Verin and I get dragged into the Justice Building. A Peacekeeper throws me into the first room on the left and shuts the door.

The room is filled with fancy looking furniture, but I don't pay any attention to it. Instead, I lie on the couch and stare at the wall. My eyes fill with tears and I begin to sob.

Almost immediately, my family rushes into the room. Vanina wraps her arms around me and begins crying into my shoulder. "I don't want you to die! I don't want you to die!" She wails.

Finally, she pulls back. "Here. Use this as your token." She pulls out a necklace. On it is the left half of a heart. Vanina pulls out another necklace, this time holding the right half of a heart. She hands the left one to me and slips the other one over her head. "We can both have one." She explains. Suddenly, a Peacekeeper bursts into the room. "Time's up." He orders. "Come on, get out." Vanina begins to scream again and holds onto me until I can barely breathe. After a moment, the Peacekeeper is able to drag Vanina off of me and out of the room. The door slams closed, and the room is silent once again.

After a few of my friends visit me, I'm taken to the train station. I manage to stop crying and even smile a little for the cameras. I wish the cameras would just go away and leave me in silence. However, they are making no move to leave. I let out a long sigh. I guess this is my life now.

I'll make the most of it.

 **I was proofreading this chapter and realized just how crappy it is. :( Ah, well. Thanks to Guest9 for Verin Fleras and Finnick Forever for Carlina Trask (as well as Smiley for Livia Fleet and Guest for Nathan Hayes, since I forgot to mention that last chapter).**

 **Here are the questions:**

 **1.** **What color dress does Carlina wear to the Reaping?**

 **2.** **Who is Verin's only friend?**

 **Hopefully District 8 will be out as soon as possible!**


	10. District 8 Reaping

**How's it going, dudes and bros? Here's District 8! We're now two thirds through the Reapings.**

 **Also, if you haven't already, check out the new SYOT I've posted. There are only a few spots left, so if you want to submit to it, hurry hurry!**

 **P.S. So, while I was talking about how many victors each District had, I realized that I had made more victors than I had games, so just ignore everything I said about that.**

* * *

Tom

"Hey, you."

I jerk my head up. A huge boy is standing above me, his short hair shining in the light and his blue eyes sparkling with malice. He has dirty fingernails and his skin is as pale as the moon. His muscles bulge under his torn and dirty shirt. He gives me a savage grin. I know him all too well.

"What do you want, Layden?" I growl.

"You know what I want." Layden responds. "I need half of your meal, right now. Hand it over." He holds his hand out expectantly.

I give him the fiercest glare I can muster, but he holds my gaze without flinching. We both know if we were to get into a fight, he could easily beat me up. I guess there's no point in struggling.

After a quick hesitation, I let out a sigh and give him a roll and part of my porridge. He gives me a curt nod and leaves. I stare after him as he walks away, boiling with anger. I wish I could just be a little bit stronger. Than I wouldn't have to deal with that idiot anymore. If it weren't for him, maybe I wouldn't have to go to bed every night with such an empty stomach.

 _Your parents were the one who got you into this mess._ I remind myself. _If anyone's to blame for this mess, it's them._ Thinking about my parents just makes me even madder. I grit my teeth and glare into my remaining porridge.

"Hey." Someone says. I Iook up, startled. A frail little girl with mousy blond hair smiles at me. I think her name's Tina. She talks to me from time to time. She's nice, I guess, but I don't really want to talk to her right now.

"Can I sit here?" Tina requests. I want to tell her no, but I feel bad about rejecting her, so I give a small nod. She beams and sits down on the hard bench next to me. Things are quiet for a moment while we both eat our skimpy meals. Then Tina speaks up. "So, how are things going?" She asks. I shrug. "Okay." There's an awkward silence. "Are you nervous for the Reaping?" Tina prompts. I just shake my head. "Not really." I say simply. I can tell she's trying to get me to open up and talk to her, but I really don't feel like speaking right now. I wish she would just go away.

"Really? Not the least bit nervous?" Tina inquires. That does it. My patience has run out. "Look, could you leave? I don't want to talk." I say gruffly. The hurt in her eyes makes me guilty immediately. I consider apologizing, but Tina scurries away before I can. I let out a breath as I watch her leave. I wonder if I would have a few more friends at the orphanage if I would just be a little more friendly.

I take a quick glance at the clock and grimace. It's already 2:15. The Reaping's at 3:00, which means that I have about 45 minutes to get dressed, comb my hair, and make it to the Town Square on time for the name drawing. I can see that some of the orphans are already leaving the cafeteria to get ready.

I get up and begin walking to the long set of stairs that lead upstairs, where all the orphans' beds are. I've lived in an orphanage ever since I was born. I've been told that I was left outside the Justice Building a few days after my birth. The orphanage took me in and cared for me. Conditions here are bad, to say the least. We eat small meals and get little to no treatment when we're sick. We're given lots of chores, and if we don't complete them, we're severely punished.

I reach the top of the steps and make my way over to the hard cot I sleep on every night. Under my bed is a small box where I keep all my clothes. I rummage through the box, finally finding a simple white t shirt and pants. I don't have any nice clothes. I pull them on and grab a brush that's also lying under the cot and brush out my thick, messy black hair. The orphanage doesn't provide mirrors, so I'm not entirely sure how I look, but I figure I seem presentable enough, so I set my comb back down and begin to follow the long line of kids making their way to the Reaping. While I walk, a few kids shove past me. "Hey!" I protest. However, they ignore me like I don't exist.

Such is the life of an orphan.

xxx

"Good morning, District 8, and welcome to the Reaping of the 48th Hunger Games." Our mayor rasps. Honestly, I'm surprised he hasn't died yet. He's 84 years old and has had at least two heart attacks at this point. Somehow he manages to hang on to life, though.

After a quick speech about Panem, the mayor announces our victors. Then, our escort, Miavi Laxia bounces onstage. "WELCOME!" She screams. I can't help but laugh at her hideous outfit. She wears a dress that looks to be the color of vomit and is so poofy that she seems to be a balloon. She also wears her shiny yellow hair in a huge bun and has on orange high heels. Her face has been painted with so much makeup that I can barely even tell that she's human.

"So, all you District people, are you EXCITED?!" Miavi aks, drawing out the word _excited_. There's no response from the crowd. She seems disappointed. "Well, excited or not, let's get right to the Reaping. Ladies first!" Miava struts to the girls' bowl, amost tripping over her dress multiple times. Finally, she reaches the bowl and grabs a name. "Alyxandra Lernan!"

A girl comes out of the 16 year old section and begins walking towards the stage. A young boy from the 12 year old section, probably one of her siblings, lets out a shriek and tries to run to her. However, a Peacekeeper holds him back before he gets very far.

Miavi asks for volunteers. None come forward, and the little boy lets out another scream. Miavi is unfazed by this and procedes to grab a name out of the boys' bowl. "Tom Shavel!"

I sigh. I can't say I'm surprised. I mean, it's pretty obvious that the universe hates me, so I guess I should have expected this to happen. I scowl and head towards the stage. "Marvelous, marvelous!" Miavi exclaims. "Would anybody like to volunteer?" I know no one's going to volunteer for me. I don't have any friends or family. Why would somebody want to put their life on the line to save me?

Just as I suspected, nobody steps forward. The Treaty of Treason is read and me and Alyxandra shakes hands. I can see her give me a reassuring smile, but I don't return it. I don't want to make friends in the arena. It'll only make it harder for me to kill them later.

I'm taken into the Justice Building and am thrown into a small room with velvet couches and fancy furniture. I sit on the couch, waiting. I doubt anybody will come to visit me. Like I said before, I don't have anybody close to me. But I can't help but hope that maybe, just maybe, my parents might come to see me. Rumor has it that my parents were killed a few days after I was born in a rebel attack, but I refuse to believe that. They have to be alive. They _have_ to. Sure, I'm super upset with them, but I really miss them.

The door creaks open, and I perk up, a glimmer of hope that I might finally be able to see my parents. To my dismay, however, it's only Tina. I can't help but sigh in disappointment.

"Hey." Tina says. She shuffles her feet nervously. "So… I know that you don't really like me, but-"

"Who said I didn't like you?" I interrupt. TIna shrugs. "I don't know. You just never seem to enjoy talking to me." I realize with some quilt that she's right. Every time she's tried to start up a conversation in the past, I've pushed her away.

"Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I hope you survive. I really want to be your friend, Tom. Please. Live."

I'm a little bit taken aback, but I nod anyway. She gives me a tiny smile and disappears. I stare after her, wishing I could have opened up a little and tried to be friends with her. But it's too late now. All I can do is try to make it back alive. For Tina. For my mom and dad, dead or alive.

The thought sticks with me as I'm taken to the train. I'm not just going to win for me. I'm going to win for everybody.

And I'm going to do whatever it takes to achieve this goal.

* * *

Alyxandra

"Hey Alyx, could you give me that syringe?" My dad asks. I nod and hand him the syringe he's pointing to. He carefully takes it with his nimble fingers and expertly inserts it into his patient's arm. The little girl that he's working on lets out a small whimper as the long needles enters her body, but she remains still. After a few seconds, my dad takes it out. He looks over the clipboard in front of him.

"Alright, you can leave now. We'll give you your test results next week." My dad finally announces. The girl beams and jumps up, following her mother out the door. She was brought into the hospital room because she was thought to have diabetes. She's managed to stay positive throughout the entire visit, even though things are looking pretty grim for her. I sigh as I watch her leave. Poor thing.

"You know, we should probably be leaving to get ready for the Reaping." My dad reminds me. I glance at a clock on the wall. It's currently 1:35. The Reaping doesn't start until 3:00, but it's a pretty long walk from the hospital to my house. I'm going to have to hurry if I want to make it to the Reaping on time.

Me and my dad run out of the hospital and down the long street leading to my house. When we finally reach it, I'm completely out of breath. I step inside and am greeted by my little brother, Matteos. He gives me a huge hug, and I stumble backwards a little.

"Alright, alright!" I laugh. Finally, Matteos releases me. I walk into the kitchen, Matteos close behind me. There, I grab a piece of bread from the shelf and place it on a plate. Then I sit down at the table. Matteos follows suit and sits down next to me.

"So, are you nervous for your very first Reaping?" I ask, trying to strike up a conversation. My brother's eyes widen in terror, and tears begin building up behind his eyes. "Am I going to be picked?" He asks, his voice filled with fear. "Of course not." I assure him quickly, even though I'm not so sure of it myself. His name is only in the bowl once; I wouldn't let him take out any tesserae. Still, twelve year olds have been picked plenty of times before. I'm terrified that he or my other sibling, my younger sister Arabelle, will be Reaped. My own name is in that fateful glass bowl 30 times. I had to take out a lot of tesserae due to my mom. She has a sickness that's made her become seriously ill. She's so sick at this point that she can't even get out of bed. It won't be long before she dies. My entire family is working as hard as they can to save her, but I'm not sure if it'll be enough.

I shake the thought away and finish up my bread. Then I set my plate in the sink and head up the stairs to my room. I look through my closet for something nice I could wear. I used to have some fancy clothes, but after my mom got ill, I sold a lot of them for money to try and heal her.

Finally, I find a long white dress that I figure looks nice enough. I slip it on and head to the bathroom. There, I take a brush and begin combing out my long, dark brown hair. Arabelle enters the bathroom soon after a does the same.

"Are you ready for today?" I ask her as I try and tackle a particularly large tangle. She gives me a nervous smile and lets out a shaky breath. "I guess so." She says. "Don't worry." I tell her. "You won't be picked."

I hope I'm right.

xxx

"So, all you District people, are you EXCITED?!" Our escort, Miavi, asks. She's met with nothing but an akward silence. "Well, excited or not, let's get right to the Reaping. Ladies first!" Miavi shuffles to the bowl that holds all of the girls' names. "Alyxandra Lernan!"

My eyes widen. _Did she… did she just…_

 _Oh, no._

She just called my name.

I hear a scream from the 12 year old section and Matteos comes running towards me, sobbing. However, a Peacekeeper blocks him from reaching me. I gulp. I really want to cry right now, but if I have any hope of surviving the Hunger Games, I have to stay strong. I begin walking towards the stage, keeping my face blank of any and all emotions.

I'm only dimly aware of Miavi asking for volunteers. For a second, I have a tiny flicker of hope that someone will take pity on me. However, the audience is quiet.

"Right." Miavi says. "Boys next!" She plucks a name from the giant pile in the the boys' bowl. I pray that the name is not Matteos. "Tom Shavel!"

I breathe a sigh of relief and crane my neck to see what the boy looks like. I finally spot him among the 14 year olds as he steps towards the stage. He has a mess of shiny black hair that almost completely blocks his eyes and very pale skin. He walks up next to me, a scowl implanted on his face. He looks incredibly skinny and bony, and based on his simple clothes and the dirt encrusted in his nails, I have a feeling that he's from the orphanage.

Miavi announces us as the two tributes from District 8, and Tom and I shake hands. I try to give him a smile, but he avoids my gaze. I shrug and release his hand.

I'm taken into the Justice Building and put into a fancy room. I frown at the antique furniture and soft cushions. I bet if we were able to sell all of it, we'd easily be able to save my mom. The thought makes me seethe with rage.

Soon, my entire family (except for my mom, who was too sick to even come to the Reaping in the first place) rushes through the door. I'm wrapped in a huge hug, and I can't hold myself together anymore. I begin to cry. "Shhh." My dad whispers. "It's all going to be alright."

"Are you going to die, Alyx?" Matteos wails. "You're going to die, aren't you? I don't want you to die!" I blink back my tears and kneel down so that Matteos and I are eye to eye. "I'm not going to die." I promise. I don't really believe that- heck, I don't even think that I'll make it past the bloodbath- but seeing Matteos cry breaks my heart. I have to give him hope. "I _will_ win." I say. "Trust me." My little brother gives me a small nod, and steps away. Then Arabelle comes forward. "Are you sure you can do this?" She asks doubtfully. I want to answer her truthfully, tell her that there's no way I can win, but that'll only make the situation worse. "Of course." I say. "I'll win and take home a ton of money, enough to save mom." At that moment, a Peacekeeper rushes in. "Time's up." He grunts.

"NO!" Matteos shrieks. He grabs onto me and refuses to let go. I clutch him, terrified of leaving him behind. FInally, however, the Peacekeeper manages to pry him off of me and carries him out of the room. "Come on, get out." He orders the rest of my family. They obey, tears in their eyes.

After a few of my friends come and visit me, another Peacekeeper comes to take me to the train station. I close my eyes for a second as I stand at the train station, overwhelmed with everything that's happened. I can't take this anymore. I just can't.

I grit my teeth. No matter how terrible this is, I have to power through it. My life is on the line. I open my eyes and smile at the cameras surrounding me. _Everything will be okay._ I remind myself.

If only that were true.

 **And, we're done! Thank you to IciclePower33 for both Alyx and Tom! I hope you enjoyed this. Here are sponsor questions:**

 **What is the name of Alyx's older sister?**

 **What did Tom eat for lunch at the orpanage?**

 **District 9 will hopefully be out soon. See ya!**


	11. Drago Malik

**K, I made a tiny interlude chapter about Head Gamemaker Drago Malik because I'm getting bored with the Reapings and want to take a break from them. I know this is super duper short, but… whatevs. Also, to those of you who are also reading Anna Banana's Hunger Games, I have noticed the mistake and am going to try and fix it ASAP. Now, onto the chapter.**

* * *

Drago Malik

I smile down at the stack of papers I'm holding. After lots of hard work and preparation, I've finally finished the arena. All I need now is President Haza's approval.

I take a deep breath. I can barely contain my excitement right now. Soon, I get to throw kids into an arena and watch them fight each other to the death! What fun!

I let out a long sigh of satisfaction as I walk out of my office and down the huge hallway to the President. These games are certainly going to be exciting.

 **Here are a couple of completely unrelated sponsor questions:**

 **What's your favorite month?**

 **What's your favorite season?**


	12. District 9 Reaping

**OMG this is so freeeeeeaking short! URGHHHHHHH! Sorry, yall, I'm just SO FREAKING SICK OF THESE REAPINGS! GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Yeah. Sorry again. Hope you like this.**

* * *

Albin

I grin, staring up at the sky. The puffy white clouds drift through the air, in no rush to get anywhere. They mix and swirl together to form strange shapes. I spot a majestic unicorn in one cloud, and a tiny monkey in another.

"Hey, honey, are you out there?" My mom calls. "Yeah!" I respond. "You should probably get ready for the Reaping!" She says. I sigh. I was trying not to think about that.

"Okay!" I shout back. I stroll down the driveway, whistling, and enter the house. My mom has already set out a plate filled to the brim with eggs and bacon. I beam at all the food. We only get this much to eat on really special occasions. Like the Reaping, for instance.

I gobble down my food in a matter of seconds, licking my lips in satisfaction. "I'm going to go get dressed." I tell my mom, who's standing by the sink. She nods, and I run up the stairs to my room.

As I'm walking down the hallway, a small framed picture catches my eye. I frown a little. It's a picture of back when I was six years old. I hate it, but my grandmother, who lives with my mom and dad, insists on keeping it around. _You look so cute in it!_ She always says. I stare at the picture. My long chocolate brown curls are pulled back in braids, and I beam happily at the camera, one of my front teeth missing. It was back when I was… um…

Well, I suppose it might as well come out now. I'm a transgender. I was originally born as a girl, Althea Ainsley. But as I went through my life, I just never really felt like a girl. It took me a long time for me to accept it, but once I realized who I really was inside, I felt a lot happier. My parents and grandmother were all supportive of me, and things have all been much less stressful since then. Sure, kids can tease me sometimes, but I don't mind all that much.

I walk into my bedroom, where I pull out a navy blue shirt and black pants. Then I walk to the bathroom, where I grab a comb and begin combing out my tight brown curls.

"You have to leave right now if you don't want to be late!" My grandmother calls. I stare at myself in the mirror. My hair is still slightly unkempt, but I suppose it's good enough. I rush down the stairs, where my entire family is waiting for me. "Took you long enough." My sister, Estelle, mutters. My grandmother interrupts me before I can say anything. "We should probably get going." She says. I nod in agreement and push the door open. "After you."

xxx

"Hello, District 9! How are all of you on this wonderful afternoon?" Our escort, Manta Strongbell, says. I don't get how Capitolites can get so excited to see twenty four innocent children go off to an arena to fight to the death with each other.

After a moment of silence, the escort chooses a girl. "Rois McCormack!"

The girl, Rois, steps out of the crowd and begins to move towards the stage. She has very short hair that's so bright red it looks like it's been smeared with tomato juice. She's extremely pale, and by her dirty fingernails and thin body, I have a feeling she comes from a very poor family. She looks a little bit freaked, but other than that, her face is expressionless.

Nobody volunteers for the girl, and Manta walks to the boy's glass, her high heels clicking against the stage. I begin to pray that it's not me. _Please, please, please…_

"Albin Ainsley!"

Every muscle in my body feels like it's turned to stone. My heart seems to stop working properly, and I feel as though I'm going to faint. I can barely make myself move to the stage. I look out over the sympathetic crowd in a daze, barely registering what I'm seeing.

I think Mantra asks for volunteers, though I don't pay much attention to it. It's not like anybody's going to volunteer for me.

Soon afterwards, I find myself shaking hands with the girl and am taken into the Justice Building. I'm thrown into a room, the lock clicking behind me.

When I was Reaped, I was so shocked that I couldn't really feel much of any emotion. Now that the surprise has left me, however, I'm filled with a devastation I've never felt for. Tears begin pouring out of my eyes, and I make no attempt to stop them. One sentence runs through my brain, over and over again:

 _I'm going to die._

 _I'm going to die._

 _I'm going to die._

 _I'm going to die._

As much as I want to think that maybe I have a chance, I know it's useless. I'm not going to survive these games. How could I? I'm going up against people who are twice as strong, fast, and athletic as I am. Sure, people from outer districts have won before, but it's usually because of luck.

My thoughts are interrupted when my family bursts into the room, all crying hysterically. They throw their arms around me and squeeze me so hard I think I might suffocate. "It's alright." My mom says, her voice so quiet I almost can't hear it. "You… you can win. You're athletic. And you're smart. It'll all be fine." I can hear the doubt in her voice, and I can tell that she doesn't have much faith in me. I guess I can't blame her, though.

My grandmother comes forward. Her eyes are filled with sadness. She takes off a tarnished silver ring on her finger and hands it to me. "It's your token." She explains. "Use it to remind you to fight for what you think is right." With that, a Peacekeeper bursts into the room. "Come on, everyone, get out." He says gruffly. After a moment of hesitation, my family leaves.

A few of my friends visit me, but it all feels like a dream. Soon, a Peacekeeper collects me and takes me to the train station. I take a deep breath and take one last look around District 9 as I wait for the train. I try my best to take it all in. After all, it's going to be the last time I see it.

* * *

Rois

 _Ring!_

The school bell begins ringing, signaling the end of the day. I grab my backpack off of its hook and push all of my books into it. "Remember, you have a science test tomorrow!" Our teacher, Mrs. Hokins, shouts as the students and I leave the class. I let out a long sigh. Great. Not only is the Reaping today, but I also have to study for a test. Woohoo.

I sling my backpack onto my shoulder and begin walking down the halls. As I head towards the front door, however, a noise catches my attention. There seems to be a bunch of cheering in a different hallway. I take a few sharp turns, intrigued by the noise. Finally, I turn into a small corridor and find a large group of kids circled around a locker, laughing. My eyes narrow and I push through the crowd to see what's happening. I reach the front and find that a huge boy has a tiny kid with curly blond hair and bright blue eyes that are wet with tears pushed up against a locker. His fist finds its mark in the small boy's stomach, and he doubles over in pain. The bigger kid smirks and prepares to strike again.

Without thinking, I shout, "Hey!" The huge boy turns to see who would have the nerve to stand up to him. He sees me and frowns. "What?" He grunts.

"What are you doing to that kid?!" I ask, enraged. The boy grits his teeth. He releases his grip on the smaller kid, who seems relieved, and begins walking towards me. "Who are you to ask me that question?" He responds. "Who are you to beat him up?" I shoot back. "Try picking on someone your own size." The boy's face turns red, and he keeps coming closer to me until we're nose to nose. "Do you know who I am?" He asks, his voice quiet. "I am Kio Makin. And I do not react well when anybody questions my position of power. Now if I were you, I would be running away right now as fast as your legs can carry you." I snort. "No way." I say. Kio glares at me. "Are you sure? Because if you try and fight me, it's not going to end well for you." I can't help but laugh. "You seem pretty desperate for me to run instead of fight you. Are you scared of me or something?" With that, Kio charges at me. He swings his fist towards my head, but I duck and twist his arm back behind his back in one smooth motion. He lets out a yelp of pain and squirms out of my grip. His face turns a deep shade of red and he lets out a bellow, but before he can run at me, I hear a voice from another hallway. "What's going on over here?" The person calls. I immediately recognize it as Mrs. Hokins. The big crowd of kids, including Dao, runs away, not wanting to be caught in the middle of a fight.

I smile and walk away. _Another victory for Rois McCormack._

xxx

"I'm home!" I call as I push the door to my tiny home open. My brother, Grain, runs up to me and envelops me in a hug. "Hey." I say, ruffling his hair. "You ready for today?" Grain nods, his smile fading. "Don't get picked." He warns. I nod. "I'll try not." I promise. I try to sound confident, but my voice wavers a little.

"You should probably go get ready for the Reaping, honey!" My mom calls from the kitchen. I bounce into the room that me, my brother, and my mom all share. My dad got into a tractor incident and died, and my mom is paralyzed from the waist down, so we're just barely getting by. Still, we're alive, and that's all that matters.

I pull on a simple green t-shirt and light blue jeans, the nicest pair of clothes that I own. Then I take out a brush and attempt to comb out my messy, curly red hair. I wince in pain as I brush it. When I'm finished, it still doesn't look great, but it doesn't seem like a rat's nest like it did before, so I decide that it's okay.

"I'm heading to the Reapings!" I call before heading out the door. I feel butterflies beginning to build up in my stomach. I hate admitting that I'm scared about anything, but the Reaping terrifies me. What would happen to my family if I was picked?

 _You're fine, Rois. Just breath._ I let out a long exhale, trying to calm myself down. There's no way I'll be picked.

At least, I don't think there is.

xxx

 _She looks like a chicken with makeup!_

That's what I was thinking when our escort, whose name I can't remember, prances onstage. She waves at the crowd. "Hello, District 9! How are all of you on this wonderful afternoon?" There's no response from the audience other than glares. The escort sighs. "Why don't we choose a girl?" I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to think about the tons of tesserae I took out this year as she chooses a name. "Rois McCormack!"

Welp. Wonderful.

I'm completely freaked out, but I manage to keep a straight face as I walk to the stage. "Congratulations!" The escort says, much more excited than she should be. I grit my teeth and stare straight ahead, trying not to cry.

I don't pay any attention when the male is chosen, and before I know it we're being announced as the tributes for the 48th Hunger Games. I turn to shake hands with the boy. I look at him closely. He has thick, chocolate brown hair and downturned light blue eyes. I can't help but think that his features look somewhat girly, but I don't think much of it.

I'm shoved into the Justice Building by a Peacekeeper and taken down a dimly lit hallway. There, I'm pushed into a door and am left alone.

The door is pushed open once again after a few minutes, and my family rushes in. Grain is sobbing, and my mom looks like she's coming close to tears.

"Rois!" Grain screams, throwing his arms around me. I hold him, blinking back tears. I can't believe this. Why do these stupid games even exist in the first place?!

While me and my brother are hugging, he hands me a bracelet that seems to be made out of an old belt. "Thank you." I whisper. I clutch the bracelet, the last I have to remind me of my family.

My mother wheels forward in her old wooden wheelchair. She gives me a heartbroken smile. "It's alright." She says, her voice barely audible. "You can win. You're tough. You're a fighter. Just… win. For us." I know that I have no chance, but before I can tell her this, a Peacekeeper comes in and orders my family out. Grain bares his teeth and grips me tighter than before. The Peacekeeper grabs onto him and rips him off of me. However, while he's carrying him out of the room, my little brother bites him on the arm. The Peacekeeper yelps and lets go of him. Now free, Grain goes crazy. He throws his arms around, knocking down fancy furniture in his rage. He lets out a battle cry and charges at the antique clock. He knocks it down and begins stomping on it. However, before he can do anything else, a Peacekeeper comes in with a needle. He sticks the needle in Grain's arm and after a minute, he falls unconscious.

I can't help but smile as he's carried out of the room. Good. Now the Capitol will have to clean his mess up and replace all of the things he broke. I can't help but feel proud of him.

The sense of pride is soon lost when I'm taken to the train, though. My mind fills with terror.

What am I going to do now?

 **Here are sponsor point questions:**

 **1\. What is Rois' token?**

 **2\. What was Albin's name before he became a boy?**

 **See you in District 10!**


	13. District 10 Reaping

**Hello. This is the FBI. By clicking on this FanFiction, you have violated the law, "do not read a story written by a bad writer". A warrant has been issued for your arrest.**

 **LOL. Sorry, I didn't know what else to say for this top author note. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Jon

I push the huge door to the barn open slowly, careful not to wake any of the animals. I step inside and gently shut the door behind me. The smell is almost overwhelming, but I've grown used to it by now. I walk over to a large stack of hay and lay down ion it, leaning back and letting out a long sigh. I listen to the gentle snoring of the animals and can't help but smile a little. For them, today's just a normal day. They have nothing to worry about. It's different for me, though. Today's the Reaping.

I feel something soft and fluffy rub against my leg, and a grin spreads across my face. I look down at my cat, Peppermint, who looks up at me with huge brown eyes. Her white fur is fluffed up and her tail sticks straight up. When I reach down to pick her up, her whole body is completely tense. It's almost like she knows what today is and is scared for my safety.

I set her in my lap and stroke her, whispering soft words in her ear. "It's alright." I murmur. "I'm going to be fine. I'll be back tonight safe and sound. No need to worry." I'm trying to reassure myself more than I am Peppermint, but she relaxes a little bit anyway. She lets out a long purr and rests her head on my leg. Her companionship soothes me, and before long, I've drifted off to sleep.

xxx

"Jon? Are you in here?" Someone calls, awaking me from my peaceful doze. The barn door is pushed open, letting in bright afternoon light. A girl steps towards me. She throws back her long black hair, her green eyes twinkling. Her fair skin and facial features remind me of that of an elf; graceful and with a unique beauty. Maylee. Just like always, I have to remind myself how to breath.

"Hey." She says, plopping herself down beside where I'm sitting. "What's up?" I shrug. "Nothing much." I say. "Just nervous about today." "Who isn't?" Maylee points out, smiling. I find it hard not to get lost in her eyes.

For a long time, we just sit with each other in silence, enjoying each other's company. I don't mind, though. It's nice to have a little bit of peace and quiet every once in a while. The world is filled with so much noise, and sometimes I just want a break from all of it.

"I guess I should probably go get ready for the Reaping. Maylee finally says. "Yeah, I probably should to." I agree. "Maybe we can get together again after the Reaping…?" Maylee beams. "I'd love that." She says, and my heart does a little summersault. "That is," She adds, "as long as one of us aren't picked." She laughs, but I can tell how nervous she is. "Don't worry. I say. "We'll be fine. Why would we be picked? There are thousands of names that can be chosen." Maylee nods, but she doesn't look convinced. I can't blame her, honestly. I'm even more scared than her.

"Well, I had better go." Maylee says as she heads out of the barn. I stare at her and am suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to stay with her. Before I can call out, however, she's already gone.

xxx

"Good afternoon, District 10." The mayor says, his voice shallow and dull. "I hope you're all super excited for this _wonderful_ event. He said the word "wonderful" with evident sarcasm. I guess I can see why he's so grumpy. After all, he's supposed to be acting excited about picking two kids from his own district and sending them off to their death.

After a quick speech on Panem, the mayor announces our victors. Among the newest is Tracie Hawker, the girl who won just last year. Tracie's 16 now, only a year older than I am. I've heard that she used to be pretty outgoing, but after her games, when she choked the District two boy to death, she's stayed locked up in her home and only comes out when she must. In fact, I don't think I've see her around at all since her victory tour before today. Poor girl.

The escort bounces onstage, his face etched into a grotesque smile, his teeth too white to be natural. His hair has been dyed golden, and his eyes, silver in color, glint with an evil glow in the blinding sunlight.

"Good afternoon, you lovely, _lovely_ district people!" Our escort shouts. He's extra enthusiastic today, seeing as he just got a victor last year. "I hope you guys are all as excited about the Hunger Games as I am. Let's choose a girl to represent this amazing District!" I take a deep breath as he chooses a name from the bowl and brings it back to the microphone. I hold my breath. _Don't be Joan, Kacey, or Maylee. Please, please…_

"Maylee Templeton!"

I suck in my breath. I can feel tears beginning to build up in the back of my eyes, and I can barely manage to contain them. A lump forms in my throat, making it hard to breathe. I can barely bare to watch it as Maylee takes slow, hesitant steps towards the stage. Deep down, I know that I'm never going to see her again once she goes into that arena. She's not built for the Hunger Games. I'm never going to see my best friend, and my crush, ever again after today.

I'm so distracted by this that I don't really pay attention to the boys' name. Before I know it, however, a group of boys in front of me are clearing a path for me. I look around, shocked.

 _Was the name he called… was that me?_

 _It was me._

 _Oh, no._

 _Oh, no._

 _Oh, no._

 _I'm going into the Hunger Games._

 _I'm going to die._

 _I'm going into the Hunger Games._

 _I'm going into the Hunger Games._

 _I have to fight to the death in an arena… against my lifelong crush._

My last train of thought is what puts me over the edge, and I begin to cry as I walk to the stage. Maylee begins sobbing when she sees me.

"Shake hands!" The escort orders. I turn to Maylee. We look at each other for a second, and then we begin to hug one another, crying into each other's shoulders. I'm sure it looks pathetic, and it's bound to lose us sponsors, but I don't care. It doesn't matter how many sponsors I have, anyway. It's clear I'm going to die in the Hunger Games.

I'm taken into the Justice Building and put into a room, where my family immediately runs in. They hug me and hold me. Kacey and Joan, my two sisters, are sobbing uncontrollably, and I can tell my parents are just barely keeping themselves together.

All too soon, a Peacekeeper is standing in the door, ordering everyone in the room out. They reluctantly leave, giving me one last huge hug before walking away.

I sit on the couch, trying to stop the flow of tears crawling down my cheeks. Finally, a Peacekeeper comes in and escorts me to the train. Seeing the cameras crowding around me, trying to get a shot of me, overwhelms me, and I stare at the ground.

I'm more scared now, then I've ever been before.

* * *

Maylee

I groan and sit up in bed. My mind is immediately filled with terror when I realize what today is. _Reaping day._

I take a deep breath, trying not to panic. _I'll be fine. I freak out that I'm going to be picked every single year, and every single year, it's never me._ Still, I can't shake the terror from my mind when I walk downstairs to breakfast. "Hey, Maylee!" My dad greets me, a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. "Hey." I say, sitting down at the table. "What do you want?" My dad asks, looking through the cabinets for something. "Just some cereal, please." I say. I don't think my stomach can handle anything more than that.

My dad grabs the milk and box of cereal, and before long, I have a bowl of cornflakes before me. I thank him quietly and begin to eat, savoring the simple yet flavorful taste.

Once I finish my bowl, I stand up from the table. "I'm going over to Jon's house." I announce. My dad nods. "Don't be gone too long, though." He warns. "I know." I say, heading out the door. I take in the bright sunlight, enjoying the heat of it on my back. Jon's house is only a little ways away, so I reach it fairly quickly. Jon will be able to help calm my fear of the Reaping. He'll know what to say to comfort me.

I push the door of his family's barn open. He's almost always there. "Jon? Are you in here?" I call out. Sure enough, I soon spot him on top of a pile of hay, dozing. His eyes flutter open upon my arrival. When he sees me, he smiles, and my heart flutters. I have to admit, I've had a crush on Jon for a while now. He's not particularly handsome or anything, with thin, pale skin, choppy brown hair, and a bad case of acne beginning to form on his face. There's something about him, though, that I adore, though I can't quite place my finger on what it is.

I walk over to him and sit down on the stack of straw he's lying on. "Hey." I say softly. "What's up?" Jon simply shrugs. "Nothing much." He murmurs. "Just nervous about today." "Who isn't?" I say with a sigh. He gives a small nod, and for a while, we just sit with each other. I wish I could stop time so that we would be frozen in this moment forever, but as much as I wish otherwise, time is an unchangeable thing.

xxx

"Maylee Templeton!"

 _What? No. He couldn't have just called my name._

But he did. Some of the other girls near me have already created a path.

My mind explodes with terror, and I can barely make myself move to the stage. Our escort, Stanford Mois, gives me a huge smile, but he looks slightly disappointed with me. "Are there any volunteers?" He asks the crowd hopefully. No one makes a move, however, and Stanford walks briskly to the boys' bowl. "Jon Winsi!"

 _Oh. Oh, god. He just called Jon's name._

Jon begins shuffling to the stage, crying gently, and I can't help but begin to sob hysterically. Stanford looks at us with a mix of pity and disgust. "Shake hands." He says. I turn towards Jon and hug him, tears pouring out of my eyes.

I'm taken to the Justice Building. My parents come in almost immediately and crowd around me, hugging me. They keep telling me that this isn't the end, that I can still win, but I know they're lying. I can't win. I'm not strong enough, or pretty enough, or charming enough, or athletic enough. I'm just not good enough. That's all there is to it.

Pretty soon, _too_ soon, my family is ordered out by a Peacekeeper, and I'm taken to the train that will lead me off to the Capitol. I let out a long sigh, trying to quench my tears.

 _At least Jon will be at my side when I die._

 **And with that, the District 10 Reapings are over! Let me know what you think of these two.**

 **Questions!**

 **1.** **What is the name of Jon's cat?**

 **2.** **What does Maylee eat for breakfast on the morning of the Reaping?**

 **See you in District 11 with Cole and Angelica!**


	14. District 11 Reaping

**Okay, two more Reapings and then we can move on to more fun stuff! Yip-yip-YIPPEE!**

* * *

Cole

"Hey, Cole!"

I turn at the sound and see my best friend, David, standing by the front door to my school. He waves me over to where he's standing. I run over to him. "Hi." I say. He nods to me, and together, we walk out of the building. "You nervous for the Reaping tonight?" I shrug. "Not really." I say honestly. "I mean, there are tons of names that can be chosen. What are the chances that it'll be one of us?" David shrugs. "I guess you have a point…" He says. "But I don't know. Plus, your mom's a Hunger Games victor, and you know how much the Capitol loves to watch a victor's child in the arena. What if they rig the system and make sure you get chosen?" I shake my head. "They wouldn't do that." I promise. "They're not that cruel." "Well, they're cruel enough to throw 24 children into an arena, with only one leaving alive." David mutters. I don't respond. He has a point, I guess, but it doesn't matter. I know I won't be picked. I can't… can I?

Before long, we've arrived at my house in the victor's village. David says goodbye to me and walks in the opposite direction, while I walk through the door. "Cole?" My father shouts from his bedroom. "Is that you?" "Yup!" I respond. "Go get ready-" My dad's sentence is interrupted by a bout of coughing. "For the Reaping!" He finishes, his voice a wheeze. I sigh. My dad is seriously ill with a disease that has no known cure. My mom has spent almost all of our money trying to find a way to heal him, but so far, we've had no luck. I hope we can figure something out soon. I'm not sure how long my dad's going to last. I'm sure he'll pull through, though. He has to. He has to get better.

I bounce up the stairs and into my room, where I pull on a light blue polo shirt and khaki pants. I slip on simple black shoes and run into the bathroom, where I begin to comb out my short, wispy brown hair. Once it looks somewhat reasonable, I sprint downstairs, where my mom is yelling at me to hurry up. "Coming, coming!" I grumble. My dad is there as well, but it seems as though he can barely stand and is leaning on my mom for support. I open the door, and together, my family and I head outside to the Reaping.

xxx

I met up with David at the square. We waited in line together to get our fingers pricked by the Peacekeeper. We came at about the same time as everyone else, so the line inched forwards extremely slowly. Finally, we reached the front. The Peacekeeper grabs my hand with rough fingers and pricks me with his needle. I wince in pain. He flips through the book in front of him until he finds my name, presses my finger into it, and waves me through.

I stand patiently in the 23 year old section, waiting for the mayor to come on. Finally, he hops onto the stage. He reads off Panem's history and introduced us to the two victors still living- my mom, of course, and Cassa Rose. My gaze rests on Cassa for a long time. Now 42, Cassa was the victor of the 23rd Hunger Games. I've heard that she won almost completely due to luck. I have to admit, if I were to ever go into the Hunger Games, I would probably have to rely on luck too. Unlike most of the District, she has light skin- just like me. She's tall and somewhat lean, with long, light blond hair and a sharp face. She seems uncomfortable up on the stage in front of a huge crowd of people.

After the mayor's speech, the escort, Fleminco Hemmingshaw, comes bouncing on. He wears a ridiculous green wig and long green robes with purple flowers attached to it. "Goooood MORNING!" He says, though he's obviously displeased to be in our district. In the twelve years he's escorted, he hasn't had a single victor. "I hope you're excited to choose some kids to represent this district!" Fleminco shouts. "I certainly am! Let's pick a girl…" He grabs a slip from the bowl. "Angelica Broome!" I crane my neck to see who the female is- and my heart stops.

A girl about my age steps out of the crowd. Her skin is dark-ish, and she has a thin frame. Her long, luscious black hair is pulled back in two intricate braids, and her face is soft and warm. The most compelling thing about her, however, is her eyes. They are a brilliant blue, prettier than any eyes I've ever seen before. As I watch, they fill with tears, but the girl- Angelica, I guess her name is- wipes them away quickly. She walks quickly to the stage, her steps small and shaky.

"Are there any volunteers?" Fleminco asks. _Please._ I think desperately. _Someone please volunteer._ But no one does, and she's forced to stay onstage.

I'm so distracted by her beauty that I barely hear the name that's called for the boys. "Cole Cambridge!"

 _Wait, what?_

I snap back to reality, where I see the boys in front of me creating a path for me to step through. Silent tears trickle down my cheeks as I walk to the stage. I don't understand… how could this have happened to me? I did nothing wrong!

 _What if they rig the system and make sure you get chosen?_ David's words from earlier today ring in my ears, but I shake the thought away.

"Any volunteers?" Fleminco asks, staring around the crowd. Silence. My mom lets out a sob from the stage. "Very well! Shake hands!" I turn to Angelica; she's even more beautiful up close. I manage to hold my hand out, and she hesitantly takes it. Her hand feels warm, and she smells like cinnamon.

Finally, I'm forced to let go and am taken into the Justice Building. There, I'm roughly placed in a room filled with all sorts of crazy expensive furniture.

My dad bursts in, crying. He holds me tight and slowly rocks me back and forth. "It's okay." He whispers, his voice strained from his sickness. "You're going to be fine." I nod, holding him tightly. "Where's mom?" I finally murmur. "You'll see her soon enough." My dad assures me. "You're going to see her on the train. She'll be your mentor." My face lights up. Being Reaped suddenly doesn't seem too bad. If anyone's going to help me win, it's my mom.

Soon, my dad is forced to leave by a grumpy Peacekeeper. A few of my friends come to visit me afterwards, including David, but I don't focus on them. My attention has turned back to the girl I've been Reaped with. She's an angel, just like her name. And I love her.

But that's exactly the problem. We're both going to into the Hunger Games, a place where only one person can leave alive. Both of us can't win.

But if I live and she dies, is surviving even worth it?

* * *

Angelica

"Angelica?"

My eyes flutter open as I hear a tiny voice and immediately recognize it as my brother, Jaime. "Angelica?" The voice becomes louder and more panicked. I sit up in bed and spot him on the other side of the room, staring at me with wide, terrified eyes. I slip out of bed and tiptoe over to him, sitting down on the edge of the hard cot he lies on. "Hey." I murmur. "What's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare." Jaime whimpers, his voice shrill. I can see tears filling in his eyes. "I was…" He stops for a moment, his voice cracking. After a moment, he's able to continue. "I was reaped for the Hunger Games." I stroke his hair gently. "You don't have to worry about being picked for a whole year." I remind him. "And besides, even when the time does come, you'll never be picked." Jaime looks up at me, his eyes huge and scared. "You promise?" He asks. I smile down at him. "I promise."

xxx

I blindly reach for the tiny loaf of bread in the cabinet, still groggy from the little sleep I was able to get last night. I grab it and set it on a plate, cutting it up into three thin slices: one for me, one for Jaime, and one for my mom. I set each piece on a plate and place them on the table. I sit down and immediately begin gobbling up the toast. Despite the Reaping being today, they still make us go to school, and if I don't hurry up, I'm going to be late.

As I finish my bread, I see my brother stumble down the stairs. I give him a quick hug. "See you later today!" I tell him. Then I grab my backpack and hurry out the door.

I walk for a little ways until I see my best friend, Dena, strolling down the sidewalk. I sprint towards her. When I've finally caught up to her, I'm panting heavily. "Hey." I say. "Hey." She greets. "You nervous about the big day today?" "Nervous for you." I admit. She looks at me. "Why?" I shrug. "I don't think I could bear seeing you go into the games. Besides, you've taken out _so much_ tesserae…" "So have you." Dena points out. She's right. I'd rather go into the Hunger Games myself than watch her suffer through it, though. Sure, the thought of going into an arena, where I would be forced to fight innocent children to the death while facing weeks of hunger and pain, unbearable sadness, and fear of my death… it terrifies me. But it would be better than watching my best friend endure that same pain.

We finally reach the school, where kids are crowding around the front door, talking and laughing. We join the crowd and enter the building, walking down busy corridors until we reach our class.

I dearly hope that this won't be the last time we ever walk these halls.

xxx

The hardest part of the Reaping wasn't watching Fleminco, our escort, prance around the stage like an idiot, acting like the Hunger Games were some sort of happy occasion. It wasn't hearing my name being called and the unimaginable fear I felt. It wasn't seeing Jaime sobbing in the audience, screaming my name. It wasn't the the fact that I knew, deep down in the bottom of my heart, that I would never go home to this district again alive.

No, the hardest part of it was seeing the boy who was Reaped with me.

He had wispy brown hair and bright blue eyes that shone with tears. He was somewhat short, and nothing about him was especially striking. He was just another kid. But he was perfect to me.

I was so caught up in all of his glory that it didn't strike me that both of us wouldn't be able to leave the arena alive until I turned to him to shake hands. That thought alone was worse than dying the most gruesome death possible.

We're taken into the Justice Building and I'm forced into a small but somewhat fancy room. I sit on the delicate couch and wait, my mind buzzing.

It's not long before Jaime and my mom both burst in. Jaime throws himself into me, crying like a wild animal. My mom just sits in the corner, rocking back and forth, murmuring to herself and sobbing quietly.

I hold Jaime in my arms, pressing my forehead into his neck. I want to tell him encouraging words, that I'll be alright, but I can't lie to him. So I just hold him, cherishing the moment.

After Jaime's tears have dried, I move to my mom. She looks up at me, terror evident on her face. "You're going to die." She whispers. "Just like your father. They're going to kill you. They're going to kill you. They'll kill you. They'll kill you, and I'll be forced to watch. No. I have to kill them first. I can't let them take you away from me…" My mom buries her face in her hands.

I stretch my fingers out to touch her shoulder. "Mom." I say, quietly but firmly. She looks up, a little surprised. "Mom." I say again. "They might kill me. I might die a quiet, painful, and agonizing death. But you can't let them break you. You can't fall apart. That's exactly what they want you to do. You can't play their game. You have to stay strong. Take care of Jaime. He _needs_ you. You have to stay focused. Don't grieve. It's all going to work out all right." My mom doesn't have time to reply before a Peacekeeper bursts in, glaring around the room. "Everyone, out!" He shouts. My family protests, but he finally gets them to leave.

Dena visits me next. We don't say much; we don't have to. Just her company is enough for me. Soon, she's gone, too, and before I know it, I'm being taken to the train. As I stand at the station and look into the huge crowd of people surrounding it, I manage to catch a glimpse of Jaime. I blow him a kiss as the train pulls up and I'm pushed onto it.

Goodbye.

 **Okay, that's that! Only one more Reaping to go! By the way, Angelica and Cole's ship name is Angelicole.**

 **What color eyes does Angelica have?**

 **What is the name of Cole's best friend?**


	15. District 12 Reaping

**OUR LAST REAPINGGGGGGGGGG! YAY! This might be one of the shortest chapters yet (I got especially lazy with Erin- sorry, CandleFire), but I honestly** _ **don't care**_ **. As I've said ten times already, your character will most likely get a longer chapter in the Capitol.**

* * *

Beckett

I grab a slice of bread and sit down quietly at the table. A few minutes later, my mom walks down the stairs. She makes herself a cup of tea and sits across from me. We don't say anything for a moment. The tension in the room is unbearable. Finally, my mom breaks the silence. "Are you nervous?" She asks. I shrug. "Yeah." I say. "I'm more scared for Sasha, though…" My mom nods. "Me too." This remark annoys me a little bit. "You mean, you care more about Sasha than you do for me?" I retort. My mom sighs and takes a sip of tea. "Maybe I do." She mutters. I don't think she meant me to hear her, but I did. I grit my teeth. "I get it." I snap. "You love Sasha more than me, even though he's not even your real son. That's fine." I know I'm being a little bit harsh, but it's true. My mom rolls her eyes. "That's not fair." She says. "Just because I adopted him doesn't mean I can't love him as much as I would a real son." "Well, could you at least not make it quite as obvious that you like him more than me?" I request angrily. "I love you both equally!" My mom protests, but I ignore her. I stand up and storm up the stairs to my room, slamming the door shut as I enter. I sit down on the edge of my bed and bury my face in my hands. I almost wish that I was given up to the orphanage, just like Sasha was. Then I would be able to be adopted by a family who actually cares about me.

I hear a knock on my door and a moment later, Sasha enters. He sits down next to me, looking concerned. "Are you alright?" He asks me. "I'm fine." I snap. I feel bad immediately afterwards. "Sorry." I murmur. "I'm fine. Just… stressed about today." Sasha nods. "Maybe dancing will help." He says. My face lights up. I've loved doing ballet ever since I was little. I learned it from some secret dancing DvDs we own, as well as from my mom. The kids at school tend to tease me about it, but I don't care. It's the one thing I love to do. It helps to ease my stress.

My brother and I begin to dance, twirling and spinning and leaping. My body becomes a blur of movement, and my worries seem to melt away. I let out a sigh of relief. Everything will be okay. Both me and my brother will be back at my house tonight, safe and sound. Neither one of will be picked.

At least, I don't think we will be…

xxx

The mayor trots onto the stage, limping considerably. His almost bald head shines in the sunlight, and his ancient face is covered in wrinkles. "Good… afternoon!" He wheezes. He has to pause between every couple of words to catch his breath. "Today we… come together to… celebrate this very… wonderful occasion!" He goes over Panem's history, then discusses our one and only victor, Cocelia. She won over 20 years ago by stabbing the girl from District 1 with a sword. Cocelia looks a little nervous up on the stage. Her eyes are squeezed shut and she's clutching the arms of her chair so hard her knuckles have turned white. I've heard she suffers from intense nightmares.

Our escort walks on to the stage, looking exhausted and bored. I can't say that I blame him. He hasn't had a single victor in all the years he's worked at District 12.

He heads to the girls' bowl of names and chooses a slip. My breathing quickens. I repeat a few words over and over again in my head. _Don't let it be Vanessa. Don't let it be Vanessa. Don't let iu be Vanessa. Don't let it be Vanessa._

"Erin Arden!"

I breath out a sigh of relief as a girl walks up to the stage, looking extremely angry. She glares into the crowd. Her large brown eyes seem to say, _you did this to me. And you're going to pay._ I shudder.

The escort moves to the boys' bowl now. "Sasha Roy!"

 _Oh my… oh… oh, no. No! NO!_

When I see him walking slowly to the stage out of the 15 year old section, a horrified expression on his face, I lose all of my self control. "I volunteer!" I scream, running forward. Our escort's eyes practically bug out of their skull. He strains his neck to look for whoever was stupid enough to actually say those two words.

I make it to the stage. The escort looks me over, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "And what is your name, young man?" He asks. "Beckett Roy." I announce, trying to keep my voice from quivering. It'll look bad for the cameras.

I'm taken to the Justice Building and put in a room. The furniture is somewhat old, but it's comfortable. I sit down on the plush couch and wait.

I don't have to wait very long before the door opens and my mom and brother charge into the room. Sasha throws himself into me, clutching me so hard I can hardly breathe. "Why?!" He shrieks. "Why did you volunteer?! WHY?!" "I had to." I whisper. "To keep you safe." Sasha doesn't respond. He just cries into my arms.

When Sasha finally pulls himself together, my mom comes forward. She stands before me awkwardly, fiddling with her thumbs. "Listen." She says softly. "I know… I know we haven't always seen eye to eye on things. But I want you to know that I love you. So, so much." I pull her into a hug, where we stay until a Peacekeeper comes in and orders everyone out. "I love you!" I scream one last time before they leave.

Vanessa, my girlfriend, comes in next. She pulls me in for a long, sweet kiss. Then she hands me something. I look carefully at it. It seems to be a small toy soldier on a pendant. "It can be your token." Vanessa tells me. "It can be your reminder to keep on soldiering on, no matter what." I have to bite my lip to keep from crying. I embrace her again before she's taken away.

The next visitor I get is unexpected. The door creaks open, revealing a tall, burly man. He has thick blond hair and deep blue eyes. He looks at me with a sad expression on his face. "Dad?" I ask, astonished. My mom and dad got divorced when I was little. My mom kept custody of me, so I haven't seen him in more than ten years.

My dad smiles at me. "You're so tall now." He whispers. "I wish I could've seen you grow up." He pauses for a moment, a tear trickling down his cheek. "Make your dad proud." He says. "Win this game." And with that, he's gone.

I contemplate what he's saying for a long time. I have to win this. For him. For my mom. For my brother. For Vanessa. I've got to win. It doesn't matter what I need to do. I just _need_ to get back to them.

I'll become a monster to see my family once more.

* * *

Erin

 _Thump._

The boy in front of me knocks me to the ground. My vision is blurred, and my forehead throbs with an intense pain. I reach my hand to my skull, and it comes back bloody. "Freak." He taunts. Red hot anger burns inside of me. I jump to my feet and aim a punch at his face. The punch makes contact, but I'm not very strong, so it doesn't have much effect on the boy. He staggers back a little, but is quickly able to regain his composure. He smirks, saying, "Nice try." Then he shoves me backwards so hard that I fall back to the ground. I land with a thud and a groan.

I turn to the side, looking for something, _anything,_ to help me. I spot a rock within my reach. It's not very big, but it's good enough. I grab it and chuck it at the boy as hard as I can. He blinks and lets out a small yelp as the rock hits him in the shoulder. While he's distracted, I get up and punch him in the gut. I don't wait around to see his reaction. Instead, I run off, yelling, "Bye!"

When I'm sure I've lost him, I sit down and lean against the edge of a building, trying to catch my breath. I lean my head back, panting hard. It's a cold, dreary morning. A fine layer of coal dust layers the streets, and the air is gray and gloomy. A typical day in District 12.

After a moment, I figure I should head back to my house. I need to get ready for the Reaping soon. I'm a little bit nervous about it- I mean, everybody is- but I'm not particularly scared. I've taken out a _ton_ of tesserae, yes, but I know kids who have taken out more than me. I wouldn't particularly care if I was Reaped, anyway. It would suck, of course, but it's not like I have that much going for me right now in my district.

I begin walking back to my small home, trying to avoid any kids I see passing by. Finally, I reach it. It's extremely small, but then again, some people in District 12 don't even have a house, so I guess I should be grateful.

I guess.

xxx

I wait impatiently for the Reaping to begin. I wish they would just hurry up and finish it already. I have things to do, people!

Finally, the mayor begins to speak. He welcomes us to this _amazing_ event (wink, wink) and reads Panem's history off to us. I zone out during it. It's so _boring_.

The escort, Bramble Hardingway, comes out next. He wears a yellow shirt that's so bright I literally have trouble looking at him. His pants are black with silver stripes on them. His shoes are blue, and he has vines tattooed into his arms. "Good morning." He says, not nearly as peppy as any other escort. "Let us choose two tributes to represent this… _amazing_ district." He says the word _amazing_ with evident disgust. It's clear he doesn't think our district is all that great. Honestly, though, can you blame him?

He walks to the girls' bowl and chooses a name. Despite my attempts to stop myself, my knees start shaking a little. "Erin Arden!"

 _Oh. That's… unfortunate._

Whatever. I can win this thing. I walk up to the stage with almost no emotion. Each step I take seems to have a little bit more purpose than before. I'm pissed off right now. If the Capitol is going to do something like this to me, than fine. I'll just win it all and shove my victory down their throats.

"Do we have any volunteers?" Bramble ask. I know no one is going to step up. After a few moments of silence, Bramble grabs a slip from the boys' bowl. "Sasha Roy!"

"I volunteer!"

 _Wait, what?!_

We almost never get volunteers in this District, seeing as it's so poor. Who could possibly do this?

A boy runs forward and steps onto the stage. He's pretty tall, with light skin and blond hair. When Bramble asks for his name, he says into the microphone, "Beckett Roy". Oh, that was his sibling that was Reaped. That would explain why he volunteered. Still, though, he must have a pretty close relationship with his brother if he's willing to risk his life for him.

The two of us are grabbed by firm Peacekeepers and taken into the Justice Building. I sit down in the room I've been assigned to for a moment, lost in thought. Eventually, my family comes in.

We stand across from each other for a moment, unsure of what to say. I have to admit, I'm not super close with them. My mom and dad are almost always working in the coal mines, so I rarely get to see them. We've never had a lot of money, so I've had to work hard from a very young age. I despise working- it's exhausting, and kids always tease me at school for how messy and dirty I always am. When Zane, my little brother, was born, my family had a little bit more money, so he never had to work quite as hard as I did. It's really frustrating and has formed some sibling rivalry between us.

Finally, my dad speaks up. "Erin." He begins. "We know you can win. You're fast and clever." "Resourceful, too." My mom pipes up. My dad nods. "We believe in you. But you have to make it home to us. You've got to win. Promise you'll win." I flash them a smile. "I promise." I say. They each give me a quick hug, and then they leave. There are no 'I love you's or 'we'll miss you's. I'm alright with that, though.

No friends come to visit me. Nobody wants to be friends with the dirty, ugly girl from a poor family. It's not long before I'm taken to the train. I take a deep breath as I board.

Let's go fight some children.

 **That's it! Weirdly enough, I don't feel nearly as excited as I should be. Oh, well. I'm still happy.**

 **Also, quick note: I know Katniss mentioned there were only two victors in District 12. In my story, those two are Haymitch and Cocelia. That doesn't mean no district 12 tribute can win these games. If a District 12 tribute wins, I'll just say that there were actually three District 12 victors.**

 **Okay, here are sponsor questions:**

 **What is the name of Erin's little brother?**

 **What does Beckett love doing?**


	16. The Capitol's Reaction

**Okay, here's a quick chapter about a Capitol citizen, Iris. You're going to see Iris throughout the story. She'll be narrating the chariot rides, the training scores, and the interviews, as well as a few other chapters throughout the games. I hope you like reading this. Also, I literally just chose her favorite tribute out of a hat, so… yeah.**

* * *

Iris Lasumi, 22 Years Old

I flick the TV off, where the Capitol just finished showing the recaps of the Reapings, and let out a squeal of excitement. After an extremely long and agonizing wait, the Hunger Games are finally here again! I've saved up a lot of money for this time and have bought more than a year's worth of chips, cookies, and other snacks. I think I might try to sponsor this year, too. I haven't done it in years past due to how expensive they can be, but I think I might be able to scrounge up enough money to buy something this time around.

I hear a knock on the door and run to open it. Nickel stands outside, smiling. His golden eyes sparkle in the evening light, and his /'copper colored hair is combed neatly atop his head. I automatically reach back to tuck my royal purple hair behind my ear and blush a little. Nickel grins at me. "Did you watch the Reapings?" He asks. I roll my eyes playfully and usher him in. "Of course I did, idiot." I say. We plop down together on the couch and he wraps his arm around me. "So, who was your favorite tribute?" Nickel asks me. "That's easy." I tell him. "Beckett Roy. He's the first volunteer District 12's had in years! And it was so cute how he volunteered for his little brother." Nickel shrugs. "I suppose so." He responds simply. "My favorite was Octavian, though. He seemed strong and capable, a good candidate for the win." I guess Octavian was pretty cool. He wasn't nearly as neat as Beckett, though.

"So, have you heard any new gossip from the Capitol?" Nickel asks me after a moment of silence. My face lights up and I begin to tell him a story of how there are rumors that President Haza is cheating on her husband. I ramble on and on, but he doesn't seem to mind. I think he's gotten used to my gigantic mouth by now.

After a long, _long_ time, I finally can no longer think of anything to talk about. So Nickel and I just sit together, enjoying the moment. I let out a long sigh of happiness.

I love my life.

 **And that was it! I know this was very short, but her chapters are going to be longer once we get into the pre-games. The next chapter is going to be the train rides with Scorpius, Nathan, and Alyx.**

 **These sponsor questions are almost completely identical to the ones at the Mid-Reapings Special, but I'm asking them again because you know all of the tributes now.**

 **1.** **Who is your favorite tribute (not including yours)?**

 **2.** **Who do you think will win?**


	17. The Train Rides

**So… uh… yeah. Remember how I said your tribute will get a longer chapter in the pre-games? That might not happen. Sorry, but after a while, I just kind of… run out of things to write about for a character. Some chapters will definitely be longer than others, but that's mostly just because I want to make an alliance or have a scene planned out that will be important later in the story. I will say, however, that your tribute gets two chapters; a training day and one other thing. The training POVs are going to be pretty short, though. The reason I want everyone to get a chapter of training is because I want people to see everybody's strengths and weaknesses so if they want to sponsor that person, they'll know what to get. It might get a little repetitive, but you know...**

 **Also, I know Alyx's chapter is way longer than Scorpius or Nathan's, but that's mostly because I was recapping the Reapings in her POV and it kind of** _ **had**_ **to be longer.**

* * *

District 6: Nathan Hayes, Age 13

The sliding door to the train snaps shut behind Livia and I. I stare around the room before me in awe. It's even more fancily decorated than the one I waited in after I was Reaped. Velvet couches have been placed all around the room, and candles line the walls. A table stands at the center of the room, filled with butterscotch, donuts, cake, and other sweets. I've never seen such wealth in all of my life. "It's marvelous, isn't it?" Raeka says from behind us. "Just wait until you see the Capitol." She takes a chocolate bar from a bowl and chews on it. Seeing her do this, I grab a cupcake from a platter, Livia hesitantly following. My taste buds are flooded with the sweet taste, and I sigh in pleasure. I begin to shovel more food into my mouth, but Raeka stops me, saying, "Don't gorge yourself. There's more food to come. Besides, you're going to meet your mentor in just a moment." I sigh and reluctantly sit down on one of the couches.

Before long, I see two people walk towards us from a room down the hall. I recognize them from the Reaping- the woman is about 40 years old and wears her long brown hair in a tight bun. Her green eyes become filled with pity when she sees us. The male is younger, maybe 30. He has short blond hair with a small beard and blue eyes. He walks with an air of confidence, as if he thinks that he owns the world.

The woman sits down beside me, giving me a warm smile. "I'm Lara." She says, holding her hand out. I shake it. "I'll be your mentor." I give a shaky nod. Lara looks at me sympathetically. "Listen, I know you're probably still really upset about being Reaped. I completely get it. I doubt you want to do much of anything right now, but it's my job to try and get you home, and in that case, we should try to talk about strategy. Now, do you have any plans in mind for the games?" I hesitate for a moment. "Well… do you think you could explain to me how the Hunger Games work, first?" I ask. Lara looks confused. "What do you mean?" She says. I shrug. "My parents never let me watch the Hunger Games." I tell her. "I don't really understand how it works. I mean, I know that twenty four kids go into an arena, with only one leaving alive, but… that's about it." Lara stares at me for a moment, then gives a tiny shake of her head. "Okay." She begins. "So, basically…" She tries to explain it to me as best she can, but I can tell she's struggling a little. I begin to understand how it works, though. As she speaks, I become more and more disgusted by what the Capitol has done.

Lara finally finishes up. "I think I get it now." I tell her. She smiles, obviously relieved. "Great!" She says. "Now, do you think you'd like to be in any alliances?" I nod immediately. There's no way I want to spend my time in the Hunger Games alone.

We go over strategies and what not for a little longer. Then Lara lets me check out my room. I give Livia a quick glance as I leave. Her mentor is still relentlessly discussing strategy with her, and it seems as though she's not going to be getting a break for a while. I feel bad for her, honestly.

I walk down a hall until I come to a door labeled "Male Tribute". I push the door open and gaze around the room. Before me is a king sized bed with multiple colorful blankets. To the right of that is a large white drawer. When I look through it, I see that it's filled with multiple outfits. A desk has been placed in the corner of the room. I spot a door to the left of that and decide to see what's behind it. I open the door to find my own private bathroom. A huge shower is in the corner. I immediately shed my clothes and hop into it, turning on the water. I see multiple different buttons on the wall, but after pressing a few of them and getting soap and perfume in my eyes, I decide to leave them be.

After letting the warm water soak into my skin for a little while, I step out and grab a towel to dry myself off on. When I figure that I'm dry enough, I walk back out of the bathroom and look through the many pairs of clothes I've been given. I finally find a soft, comfortable long sleeved shirt and a pair of sweatpants to pull on. I put them on and move to the desk, curious to see if there's anything interesting in it. I pull open one of the drawers and am shocked by what I see. Sitting there, in perfect condition, is _Stars from the Ashes_.

I pick up the book and stare at it for a moment. Then, after a slight hesitation, I eagerly hop into my comfy bed and turn to the page I had ended on.

Maybe I will finish _Stars from the Ashes_ after all.

* * *

District 8: Alyxandra Lernan, Age 16

I stare out the window and watch as the train whizzes past a huge field full of broken trains (I'm guessing we're in District 6 right now). The sun is slowly setting, turning the sky a brilliant orange. Huge purple clouds loom above the Earth, and I spot a mountain far off in the distance. I'm not able to enjoy the view, though. The terror of the weeks to come ruins it.

"Hey, Alyx!" My mentor, Diria, calls. "The Reaping recaps are about to start! You should come watch it. See who your biggest competitors are." I nod and run to the television set, sitting down on the soft, plush couch. I notice diamonds stuck in the arms of it and grit my teeth. All this wealth the Capitol has…it's immoral. Those diamonds could probably feed an entire district for a long time. But the Capitol has to keep _all_ its money to itself and let all the district people starve. It's disgusting, honestly.

Diria flicks through the channels while Miavi, Tom, and his mentor, Torik, join us. Tom sits down beside me and I smile at him. "Are you nervous?" I ask him. He just shrugs and looks away. I sigh, turning my attention back to the screen in front of me. I've been trying to have a conversation with Tom all day, but he doesn't seem to like talking to people.

Caesar Flickerman comes on the TV, grinning from ear to ear. "Hello, people of Panem!" He shouts. "This has been a long and _very_ exciting day. I hope you're all ready to watch the Reaping recap!" The screen switches to the District 1 Reapings.

The escort gives a small speech of how she's extremely excited to be at the district. She chooses a girl, Rosebud. Not long after, a girl volunteers. She has long red hair and intelligent green eyes. She walks to the stage with an unreadable expression on her face. She seems a little young, but by the way she moves and acts, I can tell she's going to be someone I've got to look out for. The boy, Blaze, also seems pretty strong and capable, but he looks pretty upset when he volunteers, as if he doesn't really want to. Still, he seems pretty determined, and he's obviously very strong, so I'm going to watch out for him.

District 2 produces two serious threats. The girl, Juno, is extremely tall and athletic looking. When she walks towards the stage, people trample over each other just to get out of her way. When she reaches the stage, she gives the cameras a vicious smile, her cold grey eyes glinting in the light, and I can't help but shiver. The boy also looks pretty menacing, with blond hair and a sadistic smile. He's also pretty tall and very muscular. He walks slowly up to the stage, smiling as if this whole thing is just a game to him. Of all the tributes, these two are probably going to be some of the toughest to beat.

The girl from District 3 looks pretty weak. She's short and cries all the way up to the stage. She could be smart- people from District 3 tend to be brainy- but as sad as it is, I don't see her lasting very long. The boy seems much more threatening. He's scrawny and somewhat sickly looking, yes, but he has a sort of calmness to him that's very intimidating. He also looks extremely intelligent. I can see him going far.

The District 4 girl looks like another vicious Career. She's somewhat pretty, with blond hair and blue eyes. She seems confident and strong, too. I need to watch out for her. When the boy is Reaped, I wait for someone to volunteer, but for a moment, all is quiet. I blink, confused. Finally, someone volunteers. He introduces himself as Nemo Fisher. I suddenly realize that the boy who was Reaped was Nemo's brother, and I wonder if the only reason he volunteered was to save him.

Before I can think more about this, however, the District 5 Reapings begin to play. The girl from District 5 doesn't seem particularly special. She's tall and somewhat skinny. She keeps her face completely expressionless as she walks to the stage. Nothing about her stands out to me, but she is able to remain calm when she's Reaped, so I guess I'll keep an eye on her. The boy, Jared, is Reaped next. However, someone volunteers for him. My eyes widen in surprise. The camera zooms in on a boy from the seventeen year old section. I can tell immediately that he's mentally ill. There's something about the way he moves and the wild look in his eye that tips me off immediately. It was probably the condition he had that led him to volunteer, seeing as he didn't seem to have much relationship to the tribute, but I decide to stay wary of him.

District 6's girl is pretty average. She's somewhat short, with dirty blond hair and freckles across the bridge of her nose. She tries her best to keep an expressionless face, but it's obvious she's scared out of her mind. The boy begins sobbing when his name is called and makes no attempt to stop it. He's slightly overweight, with glasses and black hair. I feel awful for him, but I have a feeling he's going to be a bloodbath.

In District 7, the girl who's Reaped begins hiccuping when her name is called. She seems like she wants to curl up on the ground and sob, but she manages to keep some of her composer. The boy is another volunteer. He has spiky brown hair and is tall and lean. He looks very athletic and is somewhat handsome. He'll be a pretty big competitor in the games. Caesar mentions something about how he was forced to volunteer by the Capitol, but before I can ponder this, District 8 shows up on screen, and I focus my attention on it.

When I'm Reaped, I'm happy to find that I manage to stay pretty calm and walk to the stage almost expressionless- _almost_. I may not look as powerful or as menacing as some of the tributes so far, but I'm alright with that. Tom looks more angry than scared. He walks up to the stage with a scowl on his face. He would look intimidating if it weren't for the fact that he's incredibly bony.

District 9 comes on. The girl, Rois, keeps a straight face as she walks up to the stage. She seems a little bit freaked out, but for the most part, she stays expressionless. The boy looks as though he's going to faint, but he's able to walk towards the stage. He has a mass of curly brown hair and light blue eyes. Nothing about him really sticks out to me, but he seems somewhat athletic, I guess.

District 10 is next to show. The girl walks slowly to the stage, obviously terrified. After a moment of shock, the boy begins crying when he's picked. The girl starts to sob when she sees him, so I assume they're close friends. I feel so horrible from them.

District 11 flashes on. The girl looks somewhat young. She's fairly pretty, with dark hair and electric blue eyes, which might attract sponsors. She looks skinny and weak, however, so I don't think she'll last all that 's nothing striking about the boy. He looks pretty young as well, and he cries walking up to the stage. However, when nobody volunteers, I see one of the victors onstage begin sobbing, and I assume he's her son. Victor's children can be pretty powerful, so I decide to stay wary of him.

District 12 finally comes up. The girl is honestly terrifying. She's very skinny and short, yes, but she glares at the cameras with a ferocity that makes me want to run into my room and never come out again. The boy, Sasha, looks horrified when he's Reaped. Then, the unthinkable happens. A boy shouts out that he volunteers. I hear Diria gasp beside me. The boy introduces himself as Beckett Roy. Oh, okay. He volunteered for his little brother. I suppose I would've done the same thing for Arabelle if she were Reaped. Still, that's really brave of him. Being from District 12 definitely puts him at a disadvantage, but he looks strong and athletic looking. He's definitely going to be one to watch out for.

Torik switches the television off and turns to Tom and I. "So… what did you think?" He asks. I turn to see if Tom has anything to say, but he just looks down at the floor, refusing to speak. I decide to talk for him. "Some of the Careers looked pretty strong, but the boy from District 1 and the boy from District 4 looked upset about volunteering, which could make the Career pack weaker. The boys from District 7 and District 12 both look pretty strong. The girl from District 12 and the boy from District 3 also might be people to watch out for." "Is there any you thought would make a good alliance?" Diria asks. We had immediately agreed that I should try to get myself into an alliance. We figured I'd do better with someone else. "The girl from District 5 and the boy from District 9 both seem somewhat athletic. They might be good choices." I reason. "The girls from District 6 and District 9 and the volunteers from 7 and 12 could also be good candidates." Diria nods. I think she sees how stressed the recaps have made me, because she lets me go to my room. Once there, I faceplant on my bed and start screaming into my pillow. This whole thing is horrible, forcing kids to kill each other. Thinking that all of those poor children, whether they were Reaped or they volunteered, have to die for me to come home… It's awful. Absolutely awful.

I guess it just goes to show how cruel the Capitol really is.

* * *

District 3: Scorpius Herin, Age 16

"What did you think about the tributes?" My mentor, Lighter, asks me. "Any that could be a serious threat?" "All of the Careers look pretty strong, though some of them seemed hesitant to volunteer." I answer. "The boy from District 5 volunteered, but he doesn't seem very strong to me. The other volunteers looked pretty capable, though. The girls from District 9 and 12 look pretty fierce. I should stay wary of them." I look to Jessica to see if she has anything to say, only to find that she's gazing at me. She quickly looks down when she sees I've caught her staring. My first reaction is to be angry at her for looking at me as if she thinks she's better than me, but then I remember the girl that visited me after I was Reaped. _Scorpius, we'll all be rooting for you. Try to make it home._ I decide that maybe I shouldn't judge Jessica so quickly. "What do you think?" I ask her, giving her a small smile. She looks up, seeming slightly surprised that I talked to her. "Uh…" She stutters. "Same as you. The Careers are pretty scary." She bites her lip. "I'm scared." I nod in agreement. I have to admit, seeing the recaps has made me pretty scared as well. There are some pretty strong tributes that are going to have to die if I want to make it home. If I were to get into a one-on-one fight with one of them, it would not end well for me. I shudder.

Four avoxes walk into the room, all carrying steaming platters of chicken, green bean casserole, mash potatoes, and all sorts of other foods. Drek claps his hands together in excitement. "Just wait until you taste the food." He tells Jessica and I. "It's _delicious._ "

The avoxes set the the plates and bowls on the table, then hurry away. My eyes become set on a plate full of juicy looking pork, and I pull it towards me, tearing off a large piece of it and shoving it into my mouth. I don't bother using manners, despite the disapproving glare Drek gives me. I bite down on the chewy substance, flavor exploding in my mouth. I let out a moan of pure joy. The food is better than anything I've ever tasted in my life.

I want to try everything on the table, but I can only eat so much, so I decide to take a huge clump of mashed potatoes, ham, stuffing, grapes, a buttered roll, and some other things that I've never seen before. I stack them onto my plate and dig in, savoring the delightful taste.

I eat and eat until my stomach is so full it feels like it's about to explode. I lean back against my chair and sigh in satisfaction. I would continue to talk strategy with my mentor, but the meal has made me exhausted. Besides, I suppose there's always time tomorrow. I decide to go to my room. I walk down the hallway and push open the door. I sit down on the edge of my bed, staring at the wall.

After a moment, I hear the door creak open. I turn, surprised, but it's only Jessica. She sits down beside me. We sit in silence for a moment. "How are we going to get through this?" Jessica finally whispers. I don't respond. I'm not sure if I like the way she said _we_. Jessica may be nicer than I originally thought her to be, but I don't want to be in an alliance with her. If I'm going to win these games, it's going to be by working alone.

Jessica reaches for my hand, but I jerk away instantly. I _definitely_ don't want her to fall in love with me. I mean, there's not much point in falling in love in the Hunger Games. In the end, someone has to die. Besides, there are other… complications that'll make it impossible for anything to happen between Jessica and I.

Jessica looks hurt and stands to leave. For a second, I'm tempted to call out to her, to tell her to come back, but I stop myself. She leaves my room, and I'm left alone once more.

I walk to the window and stare out of it. The moon is full, making the night a little bit lighter. I can see stars- millions of them, twinkling a million miles away. I've never seen so many before. They're beautiful.

I'm suddenly overcome with a feeling of complete and utter loneliness. Despite my best efforts to stop myself, I begin to cry. I cry because I'm scared of what's to come. I cry because of how cruel the world really is. I cry because everything seems so _stupid_ right now. I cry because I know I'm going to have to become a killer if I want to return home to my family. And I cry because there's nothing else I can do. I'm so powerless in this world. All I can do is go through life, hoping for the best. I can't change all the bad things that happen to me. I can only pray that things turn out all right. But in the Hunger Games, _nothing_ turns out all right. Even the victor is forever broken, never the same again.

In the end, the odds are in no one's favor.

 **Okay, that's the end of the train rides! Next we'll have a chariot ride preparation chapter with Rois, Tom, and Angelica. See you guys later!**

 **Name one thing Scorpius ate for dinner.**

 **What does Nathan wear after he gets out of the shower?**

 **What is the name of Alyxandra's mentor?**


	18. Meet the Stylists

**Yeah, I know, this is** _ **wayyyyy**_ **overdue. At least I have an excuse this time, though. The only thing I've done over the past week or two is eat, sleep, and work on science fair. Fortunately, it's over. All I have to do now is present at locals, which is basically just some judges from my school. Of course, if the judges give my project a superior, I have to move onto districts, and if I get a superior there, I have to move onto** _ **state**_ … **But the most serious work for that is done. Thank God.**

* * *

District 8: Tom Shavel, Age 14

"Hold _still_!" One of the members of my prep team, Goldie, orders as she covers me in a strange, soapy blue perfume. It feels incredibly strange on my skin, and I can't help but jerk away as she tries to rub it on my arms. She lets out a little grunt of frustration. " _Honestly_ , Tom." She complains. "Would you _please_ stop moving for a moment?" I roll my eyes. So far, I've hated everyone I've met in the Capitol. I hate my escort, Miavi- she's way too peppy and is obsessed with fashion. I hate my mentor, Torik- he seems to favor Alyx over me and has pretty much given up on helping me win. I hate my prep team- they're extremely annoying and keep making little comments on me. My guess is that I'm going to hate my stylist, too, whoever they are. The only person I haven't despised yet is Alyx, although even she can be a little annoying at times. At least she's nice to me, though.

After Goldie is finished with the perfume, another person on my prep team, Fleevos, takes out a pair of scissors and begins slicing through my hair. I immediately push him away. "What is it this time?" Fleevos asks, annoyed. "I don't want you to cut my hair." I tell him. "I like it fine just the way it is." He groans. "It looks like a mess, though!" He exclaims. "You _have_ to let me cut it." I clench my fists and consider arguing back, but there's not much point in that. In the Capitol, people can do whatever they want to me and I'm powerless to stop it.

Fleevos snips at my hair, large chunks of it falling to the floor. I stare in horror at them, scattered about on the clean tiles of the room. First, they Reap me for these stupid games. Now they want to chop off my hair, as well as my dignity, too?

I'm forced to remain powerless, however, as Fleevos trims it back. When he's finished, I feel like my entire head has been replaced. I shake it back and forth for a moment, trying to get used to my lack of hair.

After a lot more exhausting, unnecessary preparation, my prep team finally stops. They take a moment to look me over. "I guess this'll do." Goldie finally says. "I think it's time to call in Arosie." The three hurry out of the room. I bask in the silence. Everybody in the Capitol is _so_ talkative. You'd think they would run out of things to say after a while.

Not long afterwards, the door to the room creaks open, revealing a short, beaming Capitolite. She has unnatural purple eyes and bright pink hair. Her long dress is a brilliant blue. Her face falls just a little when she sees me, and I think I hear her mutter, "I thought I was going to get a cuter one", but she never loses her smile. "Hi!" She exclaims, holding out her hand. " _I_ am Arosie Benoict! What's _your_ name?" "Tom." I answer simply. I barely know this woman, but I already despise her.

"Well, Tom," She says, "I'm your new stylist! I'm going to make you look _amazing_ for the chariot rides!" "Great." I say. She can't seem to detect my sarcasm. "This is my first time doing this, and I couldn't be more excited." She rants as she hurriedly grabs supplies from various tables. "When I'm finished with you, you're going to look fabulous!" "What outfit do you have in mind?" I question. Arosie's smile grows larger at this question and she throws a paper in my direction. I stare down at it. I can't make out a whole lot of the details, but it seems as though I'm supposed to be wearing a patchwork shirt and pants with needles sticking out of them. From what the sketch shows, the needles are going to make different designs, like flowers and butterflies.

"So, what do you think?" Arosie asks eagerly. I shrug, saying, "I guess it could work." Arosie pumps her fist in the air. "I knew you would like it!" She says. "Now, let's get to work."

* * *

District 9: Rois McCormack, Age 15

"No way." I say. "There is _no way_ I'm wearing a dress at the chariot rides." "Oh, come on!" My stylist, Juliana, pleads. "It'll look great on you! And besides, we already have the design all planned out." "No." I say. "Not happening." I absolutely _despise_ dresses. They're super uncomfortable and much too fancy for me. The last thing I want to do is wear one at the chariot rides.

"Well, you can either wear the dress or be a stalk of grain." Juliana says. I think for a moment, then sigh. "Fine." I mutter, gritting my teeth. "I'll wear the stupid dress." Juliana lets out a squeal of excitement. "You're going to look fabulous, trust me. You and Albin will look like royalty in the clothes we have planned out!" she exclaims. I roll my eyes, glancing over at Albin to see what he thinks of this whole thing. He's been pretty quiet so far, patiently allowing his stylist, Doridon, take measurements on him. Doridon talks a lot- he keeps telling a story about how he used to be an actress back when he was younger- but Albin doesn't seem to mind all that much. He simply nods and sometimes laughs at a particularly funny part. I've got to hand it to him. He's remained pretty calm the entire time we've been in the Capitol.

My prep team begins scurrying around me. They wrap tape measures around me, measuring the size of my head, the width of my waist, the length of my arms, and a million different things. I'm forced to simply stand there as they circle around me like birds. Every once in a while I hear them murmur things like, "I wish we got a prettier one this year" and, "it's like she's never bathed in her life". I honestly want to punch them in the face, but I manage to keep my cool.

Once my prep team is finished with me, I'm allowed to sit down and relax for a moment while they finish up the dress for me. Albin gets a break, too. He sits down beside me. Once all the stylists and prep teams have all left, he lets out a groan. "That was arguably the worst experience of my life." He says. I laugh. "It'll look great on you!" I mimic, using Juliana's high Capitol accent. Albin gives a chuckle. "Seriously, though," He says, "I had _no idea_ a human being could talk that much before I met Doridon." "Can we even consider Capitolites human?" I point out. He nods, saying, "Good point." We fall silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. In the silence, I take the time to look at Albin. His features are definitely very girlish. His face is softer than a normal boy's, and his body looks more like a girl's. I wonder if he's a transgender. They're very rare, especially in the districts, but not unheard of. I think about asking him about it, but I decide against it.

We wait for a little bit longer. Finally, Juliana comes back in. I gape at the outfit she holds up.

The dress is extremely long, going all the way down to the floor. It's very poofy, too. The poofs of the dress have been decorated with glitter markings of stalks of grain. The torso is made of extremely fine silk, and the entire thing is a bright golden color. I hate to admit it, but… I'm impressed.

My prep team orders me to shed my clothes. Afterwards, I slip on the dress, which is surprisingly comfortable. Next, Juliana hands me a tiara. It's also gold and has stalks of grain sticking up from it. I'm given golden high heels, as well. It's hard for me to walk in them, but thankfully, I won't have to walk much once I'm in the chariot.

After applying some makeup to my face, my prep team leads me to the mirror. "Well?" One of them, Helia, I think, asks. "What do you think?"

I stare at myself for a moment. I look like a completely different person than the girl who was Reaped ony a couple of days ago. I seem so… queenly, I guess. My once matted red hair has been combed neatly so that it falls to my shoulders. My lips are full, coated with red lipstick. My fingernails have been painted with golden nail polish. The dress makes me seem calm and collected, exactly as a queen should be. My eyes give it away, though. They're filled with fear and exhaustion.

"I look… beautiful." I reply honestly. I can't believe I'm saying this. I've never considered myself even remotely pretty in my entire life. But even though I'm not a fan of Juliana, she did a good job.

"The Capitol is going to love you." Juliana tells me happily. "You'll forever be known as Rois McCormack, the Queen of Grain!"

* * *

District 11: Angelica Broome, Age 13

It's hard to dislike my stylist. I _want_ to dislike him. I want to hate him for being a Capitolite, despise him for enjoying the cruelness that is the Hunger Games. But when Jayor smiles at me as he talks about his difficult childhood life in a quiet voice, I can't help liking him. Besides, he grew up being taught to enjoy the Hunger Games. It's not his fault they exist.

"My father left my family when I was only three." Jayor explains. For a Capitolite, he has a fairly natural appearance. The only thing he's changed is his hair, which has been dyed dark blue, and his eyes- one has been colored bright blue, and the other's been colored orange. "My mother was left taking care of five children. She never liked me much. Whenever one of my siblings did something wrong, she'd blame it on me." He sighs. "I wasn't very well liked at school, either. The kids there thought I was ugly. They said I was useless and stupid." Jayor becomes lost in thought for a moment, no doubt conjuring up the bad memories. "My mother threw me out of the house when I was only sixteen, saying that I 'had to make a life for myself'. I had almost no money and was probably one of the poorest Capitolites in Panem. I had no idea what to do." Jayor wordlessly sews the fabric of my dress for a minute before speaking again. "I finally opened up a tiny clothing shop, right on the edge of the Capitol. I had no house, so I slept in the back of it. I used most of the little money I had to buy cheap fabrics, and had almost no food to eat. Almost nobody bought my clothes at first. In fact, nobody even knew my store existed. But I guess somebody must have told all of their friends about me, because my store began to grow more popular. People complimented my designs. They were willing to pay extremely high prices for my work. Eventually, District 11's old stylist, Drayo, payed me a visit. He loved what I made so much that he offered me a spot on District 11's prep team. I accepted immediately, of course. I loved Drayo like the father I never had. He cared for me and taught me all sorts of things." Jayor's voice cracks. "But then he died. There was a car crash. He… he didn't make it out alive." I can feel tears building up inside my eyes. _Don't cry, Angelica._ I tell myself. _Don't cry!_ Despite this, however, a single tear rolls down my cheek and lands on the floor. "I didn't want to take Drayo's spot as the new District 11 stylist, but everybody wanted me to, so I finally caved." He takes a long, ragged breath, then smiles a little bit. "And now here I am. Lots of people say I'm the best stylist for District 11 they've seen in ages, so I guess I proved everyone wrong. Now, let's see how you look in this dress." He fits the beautiful creation around me. It's a light pink color, and huge purple flowers have been attached to it. Jayor gives me golden sandals to wear, as well as a crown woven with vines and branches. He slips it onto my head. Standing back, he grins at his work. "You look beautiful." he compliments me. I give a quiet, "Thank you."

Jayor leads me out the door of the room we were in. We walk down a long hallway, where we come to another door. I push it open and gasp at what I see.

A _huge_ chamber is laid out before me. The ceiling is covered in intricate designs and is extremely high up, and the room is very long. Scattered around the chamber are chariots and horses. Most of the tributes are already there and are milling around, chatting with each other. I spot Cole standing by a chariot drawn by two dark brown horses and run to him. "Hi." He greets me. "Hi." I say. I have to admit, things have been kind of awkward between us. I've wanted to ask him to ally with me for a while now, but I've never really gotten the chance to. And he doesn't really seem to like talking to me, anyway. I feel like he's always trying to avoid me.

I consider trying to talk to the other tributes, but as I look around, everyone I consider speaking with seems to be taken. Besides, I don't really want to ally with anyone besides Cole.

Wordlessly, I step into the chariot. I survey the scene. The Careers have seemed to meet up and are now talking and laughing. The girls from six and eight are chatting, and I see the pair from seven talking to each other. From behind me, I hear the two from District 12 arguing over something. Once again it occurs to me that everyone here has to die for me to return home.

How am I going to pull this off?

 **Questions:**

 **How many years has Arosie been a stylist?**

 **What does Juliana want Rois' nickname to be?**

 **What color is Jayor's hair?**

 **Also, here's the list of what pre-games chapter your character will get (this list IS subject to change):**

 **Blaze- Private Sessions, Training Day 1**

 **Ariana- Interview Prepping, Training Day 3**

 **Juno- Interview Prepping, Training Day 2**

 **Octavian- Countdown, Training Day 1**

 **Jessica- Night before, Training Day 3**

 **Scorpius- Train ride, Training Day 3**

 **Nemo- Countdown, Training Day 3**

 **Marine- Private Sessions, Training Day 3**

 **Wyatt- Interview Prepping, Training Day 2**

 **Kala- Before the Interviews, Training Day 3**

 **Livia- Private Sessions, Training Day 1**

 **Nathan- Train ride, Training Day 1**

 **Verin- Private Sessions, Training Day 1**

 **Carlina- Countdown, Training Day 1**

 **Alyxandra-** **Train ride** **, Training Day 2**

 **Tom- Meet the stylists, Training Day 1**

 **Rois- Meet the stylists, Training Day 2**

 **Albin- Countdown, Training Day 2**

 **Maylee- Before the Chariot Rides, Training Day 3**

 **Jon- Night Before, Training Day 2**

 **Angelica- Meet the stylists, Training Day 2**

 **Cole- Countdown, Training Day 1**

 **Beckett- Night Before, Training Day 3**

 **Erin- Private Sessions, Training Day 2**

 **Iris- Interlude, Chariot Rides, Interviews, Training Score Reveals**


	19. Chariot Rides

**So, I'm back with another chapter. This was pretty fun to write, though it was hard to think of costume ideas. I hope you like it. :) I know I've gotten kind of behind on sponsor points, but I'll try to calculate them as soon as I can. Also, just as a warning, the training POVs are probably only going to be as long as Maylee's section down below. Sorry, but I REALLY want to get to the actual games, as I already have a lot of fun stuff planned.**

* * *

District 10: Maylee Templeton, Age 15

"I can't believe we have to wear these clothes." I tell Jon. He nods in agreement. "You'd think the stylists could be at least a little more creative." He says. I sigh, staring down at the pink bodysuit I wear. "I doubt it's going to gain us any sponsors." I remark. Jon's eyes lower at this and he turns away from me. "I think we're going to die no matter how many sponsors we get." He mutters. I don't think he meant for me to hear him, but I did. I glare at him. "Don't say that!" I scold. "We have to keep fighting! We can't just give up." I don't really believe that, but I can't admit that to Jon. He shakes his head. "Don't you get it, Maylee?" He asks me, clearly frustrated. "We _can't_ win. So many kids here are stronger than us! And besides, only one of us can win in the first place. To come home, are you willing to kill me?"

"Of course not!" I exclaim. "I would never murder my best friend!" _And crush_ , I almost add. Jon rolls his eyes. "Well, you can either kill me or die." He says. "Because there can only be one victor." I fall silent for a moment, trying to think of a way to get past this rule. "We'll figure something out." I finally promise. "The Capitol can rip us apart from our families and throw us into an arena filled with all sorts of dangers, but they can't make us kill each other."

"I'm not so sure of that." Jon murmurs.

* * *

Iris Lasumi, 22 Years Old

"Cotton Candy, only 7.99!" A worker wearing bright green clothes stuts by. I wave him over to wear Nickel and I sit. "Could I please get one large rasberry cotton candy?" I request. He nods and plucks a roll of the fluffy blue substance from the tray he carries. I hand him the money and settle back in my seat, taking small bites from it.

"Are you excited?" Nickel asks me. I nod vigorously. "I can't believe this moment is finally here!" I squeal. "And just think- in a few years, _I'm_ going to be the one designing a costume for the parade." He smiles. "I'll be the proudest boyfriend in Panem." He tells me, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"Good evening, great people of Panem!" A booming voice announces. "Today is the moment we've all been waiting for- the chariot rides of the _48th Hunger Games_!" There is a huge round of applause. "Now, let's give it up for the tributes!" At the end of the long pathway the chariots ride through, two huge sets of gates open. I sit up in my seat. I need to pay close attention to the costumes, seeing as I'm going to be designing one myself in the not-too-distant future. I'm currently training to be a stylist. My teacher says I'm good enough to be part of a prep team as soon as someone quits or gets fired, and a few years after that, I'll be able to become an actual stylist. I've dreamt _all_ my life to help design clothes for the chariot rides, so this is pretty major for me.

District 1's chariot enters the track. Their outfits are certainly… colorful. The girl is covered head to toe in sparkling pink glitter. Her long, curly red hair flows down her back and has been woven with sparkling beads. She wears a long, golden dress. Jewels of all sorts adorn the dress, shining in the waning sunlight. Diamond encrusted sandals wrap tightly around the girl's feet. She waves at the crowd, her face void of any sort of emotion. The boy has also been covered in glitter, though his is red instead of pink. Instead of wearing clothes filled with jems like the girl, however, he wears a simple black suit. The light reflects off the suit, making it shine like a strange dark metal. He wears black combat boots and a crown made of steel. He does nothing but glare at the crowd. The chariot has been made from pure gold, and the horses are white.

The girl from District 2 wears the clothes of a knight. A silver suit of armor has been placed upon her, and her long brown hair stretches down behind the thick metal helmet she wears. The boy wears something similar, but his outfit has been dyed completely black. The two hold fake silver swords, and every so often they pretend to duel. The chariot is made of wood and is pulled by black horses. I hear Nickel begin to cheer extra loudly for Octavian.

District 3 enters. Just like districts one and two, the stylists have appeared to work together. The girl wears a long, poofy dress made of soft gray fabric. Twisting wires work their way around the dress. A choker made of white lace has been strapped around the girl's neck, and she wears white high heels. The boy wears a bright gray suit. Wires have been wrapped around his entire body, and he wears simple sneakers. Suddenly, the two grab onto each other's hands, and their wires spring to life, flickering and pulsing with light. The audience goes wild. The girl waves happily to the adoring crowd, but the boy simply stands awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with holding the girl's hand. The chariot is a simple white color. Grey and black horses pull it.

District 4 comes in next. A shimmering tail of purple scales has been attached to the girl's body at the waist, giving her the appearance of a mermaid. She wears a light purple bra, and her hair has been put into an intricate braid, A tiara made of seashells on her head. She keeps completely still, a determined expression upon her face. The boy's clothes have been made for him to look like a sailor. He wears white pants and a white shirt. The edges of the sleeves have been dyed a dark blue color. He has a sailor's cap and waves cheerfully to the crowd, though he seems a little bit nervous. The chariot has been painted blue and looks like the crashing waves of the sea. The horses are white, splotches of gray scattered across their body.

District 5 comes into view. The girl's dress looks like a circuit board, with blinking lights and a mess of criss crossed wires. She wears a tiara that has small red lights on it. The lights blink on and off. She looks extremely scared, but manages to wave at the crowd. The boy has a similar design, though he wears a suit instead. He stares around at all of the people, looking shocked. The chariot is a bright, blinding green and pulled by two simple brown horses.

The stylists for District 6 were obviously thinking outside the box this year. The outfits on the tributes themselves are nothing out of the ordinary. The girl has on the simple dark blue uniform of a pilot, and the boy wears similar clothes, though his are black. The chariot, however, is not pulled by horses. Instead, it's powered by an engine in the back, which whirs and sputters as it speeds along. Long wings of white metal stretch out from the chariot, making it look like an airplane. The boy waves happily at the crowd, smiling widely. The girl looks a bit more scared of the people in front of her, but she waves anyway.

The District 7 tributes wear two classic costumes. The girl has a long brown gown on that looks like the bark of a tree. A small hat has been placed on her head. Branches spring from the hat and fall to the floor of the chariot. The branches are covered in pink flowers. It's clear they were trying to make her look like a weeping willow. She waves peppily, smiling from ear to ear. The boy is has taken on the look of an oak tree. He's been given a brown suit, branches jutting out of it. He also wears a hat, but this one is covered in sticks and leaves. The boy stands as stiff as a board, not a single emotion on his somewhat handsome face. The chariot is covered in twigs, with dark brown horses carrying it down the track.

The District 8 girl has on a long, ty-dyed dress. A soft fur coat has been placed around her shoulders, and she wears a shimmering rainbow colored choker around her neck. Shoes have been fitted on her feet, and they glow with a pinkish hue. She waves at the crowd, clearly a little nervous but trying her best to look happy. The boy's costume is an absolute _mess_. A poorly sewn patchwork suit has been thrown over his body. Needles stick out of the suit in different directions. It's obvious the stylist was trying to form intricate patterns with them, but they failed miserably. Now the outfit just looks uncomfortable. The poor boy keeps wincing as the sharp points of the needles dig into his skin. He glares out into the crowd with an unmistakable hatred in his dark brown eyes. The chariot is of a shiny marble material with white and grey horses.

The District 9 costumes are stunning, that's for sure. The girl wears an extremely long, golden dress. The poofs of the dress have been decorated with small, glittering stalks of grain. Her bright red hair has been topped with a tiara, which has grain sticking up from it. She has on golden high heels, and makeup has been delicately applied to her face. She wears a scowl the entire time. The boy is dressed in a sparkling suit of gold. A long red cape is draped around his shoulders and makes him look larger than he is. He wears simple sandals, and a sturdy crown has been placed on his head. He smiles shyly and gives a wave every so often. As the painted gold chariot, pulled by brown horses with white spots, walks along, the announcers shouts out, "Please welcome Rois McCormack and Albin Ainsley, the King and Queen of Grain!" It's a fitting name, I must admit.

District 10's outfits are laughable at best. The girl has on a tight pink bodysuit, with a little tail sticking out in the back. A mask in the shape of a pig has been strapped around her head. She waves to the crowd, obviously miserable about her outfit but trying to make the most of it. The boy has on a similar outfit, though the bodysuit he wears is white and covered with black splotches. His mask looks like a cow. He seems much more intimidated by the number of people in the audience and shrinks back in the chariot, which has been painted a boring brown color with two dull brown horses. I honestly feel bad for the pair.

District 11's stylist, Jayor, has made another wonderful outfit, just like usual. The girl wears a long gown that's light pink in color. Large, blooming purple flowers are attached to it, and they almost seem to glow. She wears golden sandals and a tiara made of vines and branches. She waves cheerfully to the crowd. The boy's costume isn't nearly as good and pales in comparison to Jayor's skill. He wears a brown suit that gives off the impression of dirt. Prickly vines twist around his body. He smiles, unbothered by his rather unflattering costume, and jumps around his chariot, clearly not afraid of the crowd. The chariot looks like grass and has brown horses. The horses have little flecks of grey embedded in their fur.

District 12 finally comes out. The things they're wearing are arguably the worst ones yet. The girl is a lump of coal. A huge sphere of black rock circles around her, making it very hard to do much of anything other than just stand. She wears black gloves on her hands. She shouts insults to the Capitol, telling us that we're 'going to pay for this'. While this doesn't bode well with some citizens, others seem to enjoy her spirit. Beckett is wearing a cartoonish looking coal miner suit. Work clothes have been placed on him, with a work hat on his head. Flashlight gear has been attached to the hat. He looks ridiculous, but I begin to scream and clap anyway, along with many other Capitolites. Beckett has become one of the most popular tributes in Panem after volunteering to save his brother.

The ring of tributes around the president's mansion is eventually completed. President Haza steps out onto the balcony of her house, smiling down at the audience below her. "Good evening." She greets. Just those two words are enough to make the Capitol go _crazy_. After the applause has finally died down, President Haza continues. "I want to thank all of you for coming out tonight. It's been a wonderful experience, hasn't it?" There's more cheers. "Well, that's all. Good luck, tributes of the districts. And may the odds be _ever_ in your favor." With that, the President turns on her heel and exits.

As the crowd begins to disperse, Nickel turns me. "So, what did you think?" He asks, taking my hand. I smile, saying, "I think this going to be an interesting games."

 **Training day 1 is next! Questions:**

 **What was your favorite costume?**

 **What was your least favorite costume?**


	20. Training Day 1

**OMG. I literally just realized that you were supposed to start a new paragraph when someone else speaks! XD Anyways, here's training day 1. Most of the POVs are going to be between 300 and 600 words long.**

 **Also, sorry for this taking so long to be updated. I've actually had it done for a little while, I've just been too lazy to post it.**

 **I've started a new SYOT, too, so please check it out if you haven't already! I'm not going to really start it up until I finish this one, but I wanted to get all the tributes in now.**

* * *

District 8: Tom Shavel, Age 14

"Tom! Tom, wake up!"

I groan and roll over onto my side, glancing at the large clock on the stand beside me. _6:44_ , I read. _You've got to be kidding me._ We're going into an arena, where we're going to starve and fight and die and feel all sorts of pain. Can't the Capitol at least let us sleep in?

"TOM!" Miavi's voice grows louder, and I reluctantly stand, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I slink to the door and open it. My escort stands in front of me, obviously very displeased. "It takes you _so long_ to wake up." She complains. "Now, come on. Breakfast is ready."

I trudge behind Miavi as she struts down a long hall. She comes to a door and opens it, and I follow her as she steps inside. Inside the door is a huge dining hall. A large table has been laid out, taking up most of the room, with a golden chandelier gently swaying above it. Silky tablecloths and stacks of food are sitting on the table. As I look around, I see everyone else is already here, including Alyx. She waves at me and I sit down next to her.

"Are you nervous about today?" She asks me, shoveling a piece of bacon into her mouth. I shrug as I begin to fill my plate with sausages and waffles.

"There's nothing to be nervous about." I reply. "No matter how much we train, we're going to die either way." Alyx frowns slightly and turns back to her food.

I begin to stuff myself with breakfast, scarfing down biscuits and pancakes in mere seconds. Miavi stares at me in a mixture of disgust and confusion.

"Could you _please_ eat like a normal human being, Tom?" Miava scolds. "You look like you've never had a full meal in your life!" At this, she laughs. _If only you knew,_ I think. I ignore her and continue to eat until I feel as though I'm going to puke.

When I'm finished, I walk back into my room to change back into the outfits we've been assigned for the training days. I spot a pair of simple black pants and a white T-Shirt with a big number 8 sewn onto it lying on my bed and slip it on. It's actually somewhat comfortable and easy to move around in. As I walk towards the door, a random thought enters my mind about what we'll wear in the games. I hope they're as comfy as the clothes I have on now, but a piece of me doubts that it will.

I stroll towards the elevator, where I find Alyx waiting for me. I let out a sigh as I step onto the platform and the doors close around me.

Let's get this over with.

* * *

District 1: Blaze Hale, Age 17

The elevator begins descending slowly. I stare at the floor, nervousness building up behind my chest. Every training day matters here. If I want to come home to Platinum, I can't waste a single second of it.

"Are you ready?" Ariana asks me. I chew my lip.

"I'm not sure." I reply honestly. "I'm a bit worried, I guess." So far, Ariana and I have gotten along together pretty well. She's a fairly nice person, not a typical shallow District 1 girl. A few times, she's even hinted at the fact that she's against the Hunger Games, too. She hasn't outright told me so yet, though. I can't blame her. If I were to tell the other Careers about it, they would kill her for sure. I wouldn't tell anyone about it, of course, but she doesn't know that.

The metal doors beep and open, and Ariana and I step out into the huge auditorium in front of us. Many of the tributes have already arrived. They mill around, looking at the different stations. A few scurry away from us when we enter.

After everybody else has come, a trainer requests us to gather around her. She explains the rules. There aren't many- as long as we don't kill each other, anything is fair game. Soon after, she dismisses us to go off on our separate ways.

I see Octavian and Juno, the two tributes from District 2, meet up with each other. While I don't particularly like them- they're _way_ too into the Hunger Games- they are my allies, so I figure I should probably meet with them. I walk over to where they're standing, Ariana following close behind. Soon after, the two from four join us.

Octavian begins speaking immediately. "Let's get right to it." He states. "Training's begun. We need a leader. Would anyone like to volunteer? Because if no one does, I will _full heartedly_ take the position upon myself." He says this with a pointed look at the rest of us, as if he's daring us to challenge him.

"Actually," Juno speaks up with an evil smirk, "I'd like to be the leader."

"Oh, really?" Octavian asks, a little bit irritated but obviously not surprised. "Would anybody else like to volunteer?" I see Marine open her mouth, then after a small hesitation, close it again. Octavian looks around. "Well, then." He states. "I guess there's only one way to solve this. Juno, I challenge you to a duel."

* * *

District 2: Octavian Grimes, Age 18

I grab a rubber sword from the rack on the wall, swinging it back and forth a few times to get a feel for the weapon. I see Juno pick up two throwing knives made of plastic. The weapons aren't made to be deadly- after all, the Capitol doesn't want us killing each other before the games begin.

Juno and I face off against each other. I grin wickedly and charge at her. I know I can win this battle. Juno's strong, yes, but not strong enough to beat me.

I slash at Juno's waist, but she blocks me easily. I send flurries of blows towards her, hoping to land one, but she deflects them every time. I feel myself becoming frustrated. My blade moves faster and faster. I swipe and stab, but it does nothing to phase Juno. She simply smiles, dodging blow after blow after blow.

When I've exhausted myself, Juno goes on the offense. A knife comes swinging towards my head, and I just barely have time to dodge. I'm forced to step back as she stabs at my waist. I don't get it right now. How is Juno _beating_ me? I should be destroying her!

When one of Juno's knives make contact with my leg, giving it a large bruise, I know that I'm going to lose if I keep fighting. _Alright_ , I think. _That's fine. I can play dirty._ I fall the ground, clutching my leg.

"I'm hurt!" I scream. Juno rolls her eyes.

"I'm not falling for that." She tells me. I ignore her, continuing to whimper in pain. Nemo steps forward, looking worried.

"Do you need a medic?" He asks me. I nod with a fake grimace, and Nemo runs to a nearby trainer.

As a medic rushes towards me, Juno lowers her guard ever so slightly, and I see my chance. I spring up and thrust my sword into her chest. "I killed you." I say with a sneer.

Juno looks shocked for a moment, then exclaims, "That's not _fair_!"

"All's fair in love and war." I respond. "I believe the title of the leader of the Careers goes to me." She gives me a death glare, her eyes boring into my skull. Finally, her eyes drop.

"Fine." She spits. "Be the stupid leader. What do I care? I'll kill you either way." With that, she storms off to the swords station. I smile as she leaves and turns back to the stunned group behind me.

"Alright, everyone!" I exclaim. "We've only got three days of training. You guys had better make it count if you want any chance of winning!"

* * *

District 7: Carlina Trask, Age 15

I fling my last throwing knife at the target on the wall, and it hits just to the left of the bullseye. I smile at my work. All but one of the knives have implanted themselves very close to the center. It's not as good as a Career, but it's decent for an outer district kid like me. "Nice job." The trainer tells me, and I beam.

I walk away from the station and wander around for a moment before spying the shelter building station. I immediately head towards it. Having a good shelter can drastically help my odds (which aren't very good in the first place), especially if the arena's super cold.

When I reach the station, I notice someone already there. I recognize him as the boy from District 9, Albin. He looks up when he sees me and gives me a quick smile, then continues to work. I plop down beside him and begin to survey the station.

I spot a small booklet at the corner of the station and pick it up. _Welcome, tribute._ I read. _To survive the Hunger Games, a shelter will be necessary for your survival._ The booklet begins walking me through the steps I need to take. I grab some fake sticks and grass from the corner and begin to work.

When I'm finished, I step back to survey my creation. For my first time making one, it's not bad- it's fairly large, and when I crawl inside, I find that it's somewhat warm. It isn't perfect, of course, but it's something.

When I exit my shelter, I find Albin staring at me.

"That's really good." He remarks, nodding towards me work. I smile.

"Thanks." I say. "Yours is good too." The shelter he's made is smaller than mine, but it looks cozier and warmer.

"Allies?" I suddenly ask. It's a bit out of the blue, especially since we just met. But if I'm going to have an ally, I know that Albin's the one I want to spend the next few weeks with.

After a small hesitation, Albin smiles. "Allies." He agrees. "Do you want to go check out the climbing station?" I nod, and the two of us stand to leave.

* * *

District 11: Cole Cambridge, Age 13

I stare around the training center until my eyes land on a head of black hair that I immediately recognize as Angelica's. She's at the fire making station, bent over something. I begin to walk towards her, taking a deep breath as I go.

After a lot of thinking, I've decided that I'm going to try and ally with Angelica. When I told my mom, she advised against it. She told me it was pointless to fall in love in the Hunger Games. I know, deep down, that she's right. At least one of us has to die in the arena. But I don't care. I love Angelica. I'm going to ally with her, whether my mom likes it or not.

Angelica turns around when I reach her. "Hi." She says, looking a little surprised to see me. I've been trying to avoid her for most of my time in the Capitol because I'm worried I'll say something stupid and embarrass myself in front of her. Even now, I'm tempted to chicken out of asking her. What if she says no?

Angelica's bright blue eyes stare at me curiously. I squeeze my eyes shut, then blurt out, "Do you want to ally with me?"

Angelica looks shocked, but she nods immediately, saying, "Sure!" I breathe a sigh of relief. Angelica stands. "What should we do now?" She asks me. I see a station filled with axes and deadly looking swords and point to it. Angelica gulps. "I don't know…" She says. "I don't think I'm very good with weapons."

"We have to do some of the weapon stations at some point." I point out. "If we don't, there's almost no way we'll survive the Hunger Games." She sighs, but agrees with me and follows me to the station. There's a trainer, but she's currently occupied with the girl from 5.

I pick up an axe hanging from the wall. It's heavy, but it has a nice feel to it. I face the dummy that stands next to me and swing the axe into its side. The axe sticks. I yank it out, leaving a large gash in it. Next, I land a blow at its head and chop it clean off. I smile, glancing over at Angelica to see how she's doing. She appears to be struggling with the axe she's holding- it's so heavy she can barely lift it off the ground. "Cole…" She says, gasping as she tries to hold the weapon. "Can we maybe… try another station?" I want to stay right where I'm at, since I found that I'm not half bad with axes, but I feel bad for Angelica.

"Sure." I finally say. "Why don't we try the edible plants?"

* * *

District 6: Livia Fleet, Age 15

I frown and place the spear I'm holding back in the rack. I was only able to hit the target one time. That's not good.

I decide that I've done enough weaponry for now and walk towards the survival stations. After all, more tributes are killed by the elements than they are by other tributes. I see the edible plants section and make my way over to it. If I don't have food in the arena, I'll die without a doubt. The two kids from District 11 are already there, but they leave when I come close.

At the station, there's a large screen. It turns on when I come close, and a recording begins to talk to me. It walks me through which plants are edible and which are poisonous. At the end of the recording, I'm instructed to take a test. I find a stack of notecards on a table. Each one has a picture of a plant on it. I begin sorting the notecards into two separate piles. _Edible, poisonous, edible, poisonous, poisonous, edible…_

"That's poisonous." Someone says from behind me, talking about a small violet berry I had just placed in the _edible_ section. I spin around. Alyxandra, the girl from District 8, stands over me. I talked to her a little bit at the chariot rides. "It's a Pitcherberry." She explains. "The juice has poison in it that can kill you within an hour." Alyxandra kneels beside me. She begins sorting out the rest of the cards. When she finishes, she checks her score. Her score is perfect.

"How did you know all of that?" I ask breathlessly. Alyxandra shrugs.

"My dad is a doctor." She says. "I like to help him out at the hospital. We use a lot of these plants on patients."

"Wow." I say. I think for a moment, then ask, "Do you think you'd like to be my ally?" Alyxandra beams.

"Yes!" She says. I smile.

"Cool." Alyxandra and I stand together.

"Where now?" She asks. "Maybe the knives?" I suggest. Alyxandra happily agrees, and we walk away.

I'm not going to be alone in the next few weeks. I'm going to have an ally.

Thank God.

* * *

District 7: Verin Fleras, Age 18

I scale the fake tree at the climbing station, reaching the top in a matter of moments. Glancing below me, I spot my district partner and the boy from nine. Carlina can climb up pretty easily, but she has to keep falling back to help out her ally, who seems to be struggling. I suppress a smile as he tumbles to the ground from the spot he hung from.

I climb back down the tree and figure that I should try out the axes. I wander over to the station but find that the 2 boy, Octavian, is already there. "Move." He grunts as he swings an axe into a dummy's forehead, leaving a large gash. I smile and bow.

"Yes, your majesty." I say sarcastically. Octavian glares at me.

"If you have any sense at all, you'll take that comment back." He threatens. I just roll my eyes. Octavian takes a step towards me, but before he can do anything, the bell rings for lunch. I brush past him and walk towards the hall where the tributes eat.

Grabbing a plate, I follow the line of kids grabbing food. I choose a thick piece of steak, a delicacy we rarely eat back in District 7, and a buttered roll, as well as some mashed potatoes. I look around the room, searching for a place to sit. The Careers are all together (Octavian is still glaring viciously at me), as well as a few newly formed alliances. I would sit by Carlina, but she's already with Albin. Finally, I take my spot next to Rois, the girl from District 9. She doesn't pay me much attention and continues to eat the giant sandwich on her plate.

For a brief second, I consider asking her if she wants to be in alliance. I wipe away the thought immediately, though. I don't even know her. Besides, I've known for a long time that I don't want allies in the Hunger Games. After all, what if we were in the finale together? What would happen then?

Could I kill an ally, and a friend, of mine just to come home to my family?

* * *

District 6: Nathan Hayes, Age 13

The elevator beeps, then begins to ascend, bringing Livia and I with it. I breathe a happy sigh and lean back against the wall. For knowing that I'm going to be going into a death games in just a few days, today was fun. It gave me hope, too- not only did I meet the District 5 girl that I'm considering proposing an alliance to, but I also learned that I have a decent aim. Maybe I have a chance, as small as it is, after all.

"How was training?" I ask Livia as the elevator stops and its doors open. She looks slightly wary talking to me, seeing as we're going to be killing each other in just a few days, but she responds anyway.

"It was okay, I guess." She says. "I realized that I'm pretty good at using a bow. I made an ally, too."

"Cool." I respond. We haven't taken more than two steps down the hallway before our escort and mentors stop us.

"So?" Raeka asks excitedly. "How did it go?"

"It went well." I reply. Her face lights up.

"Great!" She exclaims. "One of you have got to win this thing. We haven't had a victor in a while."

For some reason, these words scare me. People back in my district are routing for me, counting on me. They want me to come home. They _need_ me to come home. The thing is, though… I don't think I can do it. I can't. I watched the Careers in training, the way they destroyed the dummies with a swipe of their sword. There's no way I can compete with that. I'm going to die in the Hunger Games. I'm never going back home to my district in one piece. It's as simple as that. The thought I had earlier that maybe I can win is wiped away with the wind.

But I guess I can always hope, right?

 **I'm only doing two questions for sponsoring. Also, it took me a long,** _ **long**_ **time for me to decide on the Career leader. I could see the position going to Juno, Octavian, or Marine, but I decided that the plot would work the best if it was Octavian, so I chose him.**

 **1.** **What weapon is Livia good at?**

 **2.** **What did Cole's mom advise him about allying with Angelica?**


	21. Training Day 2

**Oh, BOYO. It's been quite some time, hasn't it? I'm super sorry. This is probably one of my longest (if not longest) gap between updates. It was mostly because I had a really busy schedule, and also… laziness. To be honest, I'm starting to hate these training days almost as much as I hated the Reapings. D: Oh, well. I didn't bother to proofread this chapter, so if my grammar sucks, that's why.**

 **Also, I'm going to start doing shoutouts every chapter! This one actually has two- one for Smiley111 and one for InsertUserNameHereThanks. Smiley has been very good at consistently reviewing, and she always has nice things to say about my work. Thank you! Also, sorry it's taken me FOREVER to get my characters into your stories. They're coming, I promise. Millie, you get a shoutout because you were my 100** **th** **reviewer! Thanks so much!**

 **Speaking of which, 100 REVIEWS?! THANKS, Y'ALL! I really appreciate all the support. I honestly didn't expect to get** _ **any**_ **, so 100 is pretty amazing. You guys are awesome.**

* * *

District 9: Rois McCormack, Age 15

I throw my knife at the target, and it lands a few rings away from the bullseye. I scowl. I haven't found a single weapon I'm good at so far in training. Add that to the fact that my mentor has been annoying me to the point of death about getting into an alliance, and I'm super upset.

Ever since the train rides, Kiros has been bugging me to get an ally. _It was the whole reason I won my games._ He told me. When I pointed out that plenty of tributes had won going solo, he brushed me away as if my opinion didn't matter. I grow angry just thinking about it. I don't _want_ an ally. They're only going to slow me down in the long run.

After throwing a few more knives, all of which come nowhere close to hitting the bullseye, I look around for something else to practice. My eyes land on the poison station and I begin to walk towards it as if in a trance. Weapons are much more deadly when coated in a layer of poison. And judging by the way I've been training so far, I'm going to need my weapon to be as dangerous as possible.

When I sit down at the station, I see someone else already there. It's the girl from District 12, Erin. I ignore her, focusing on the task at hand.

At the station, an instructor sits. She seems to be watching Erin intently but looks up when she sees me and smiles. "Hi. Welcome to the poison station." She says, thrusting her hand around her. "What do you want to learn today?" I shrug.

"Everything I can." I say. The instructor beams at this and begins to tell me about different poisons and their cure. I listen intently, not wanting to miss out on anything important. At the end, I take a test, matching up names of the deadly liquids with their color. I get an almost perfect score, only mixing up two yellow potions, one that can kill a human within a minute, and one that causes vomiting for two days before killing them. I see Erin glance at me with a little bit of envy as she struggles to match the vials with their names.

"That one's Black Spider Venom." I say, pointing out a bottle of filled with a blood red substance. Erin glances at me in a mixture of surprise and irritation. "I don't need your help." She spits, turning her back on me. I shrug.

"Suit yourself." I tell her, standing up to move onto the next station. I glance around, my eyes finally landing on the sword station. I begin to walk towards it. I really need to start doing more survival stations, but if I have any hope of winning the games, I'm going to need to know how to use a few weapons.

After all, if I get into a run in with a Career, knowing whether plants are edible or not isn't going to help me.

* * *

District 2: Juno Armstrong, Age 18

I bring my blade up and slam it down on the cloth dummy in front of me, slicing it down its center. I grin with pride at my work, but Octavian doesn't seem as impressed. "Do it quicker next time." He tells me. I glare at him. Over the past two days, Octavian has constantly been critiquing my work. He acts like he's better than me just because he's the leader of the Careers. It still makes me seethe with anger as I remember the unfair fight that happened yesterday. I definitely would've beat him I he didn't act like he was hurt.

In a flurry of rage, I swing my sword into the dummy's side and slice it clean in half. I turn towards Octavian with a smug smile on my face. "Was that good enough for you?" I ask. Octavian shrugs.

"It was still too slow. An opponent would've easily been able to block it." Is his only response. This annoys me so much that I set down the sword I'm holding and begin to walk to a rack with rubber weapons made specifically for sparring.

"If you're so confident in your sparring abilities, why don't you fight me yourself?" I ask, choosing a thick blade from the rack and pointing it at Octavian in a challenging gesture. He smirks, but I see a flicker of nervousness dart through his eyes.

"We already dueled." He says. "I won."

"Well, I want a rematch." I respond simply. I sneer at him. "Or are you two scared to fight me again because you think you'll lose?" At this, Octavian's face turns red.

"You're on."

He grabs a sleek sword and turns to face me. We circle each other for a moment before I lash out at him. He barely moves back in time, and the sword comes down mere inches from his chest. He swings his blade at my head, but I block it fairly easily. Out of the corner of my eye, I can sense a few of the outliers watching us in awe.

Octavian hacks at me, and I dodge his blows, trying not to use too much energy. He's wearing himself out- I can see sweat beginning to form on his brow. Normally, I'd attack an opponent with all my strength as soon as the battle began, but that strategy won't work on Octavian. I may be able to land a few minor blows on him, but he'd block the rest of them, and I'd only exhaust myself.

When Octavian lowers his guard for a split second, gasping for breath, I see my. My blade swipes at him, almost making contact with his head. He takes a step back, and I push forward. I force him backwards, swiping and thrusting my sword. With each move I make, I gain confidence. _Not so smug now, are you, Octavian?_

When I realize what he's doing, it's almost too late. I was so caught up in the battle, I hardly noticed that Octavian had backed into the weapons rack. He grabs a throwing knife and hurls it in my direction, and I just barely duck in time. A look of victory crosses his face, but disappears just as quickly when he realizes his plan didn't work. I run towards him, and he knocks the rack over in a desperate attempt to stop me. The contents spill onto the floor near my feet, but it doesn't slow me down. In one graceful motion, I leap over the weapons and thrust my sword into Octavian's gut. "You're dead." I tell him, a triumphant smile plastered across my face. Octavian stares down at my blade for a moment, unable to process the event that just happened.

"But… but…" He stutters. "You cheated!" I can't help but start to laugh. " _How_ on Earth did I cheat?" I inquire. Octavian pauses, seemingly unable to answer my question. Finally, he crosses his arms.

"I'm still the leader of the pack, you know." He says. I sigh.

"Fine." I tell him. _What does it matter, anyway?_ I could always kill him if I wanted to.

Octavian, defeated, slinks away to another station, and I begin to look around. _Where to now?_

* * *

District 8: Alyxandra Lernan, Age 16

I chuck the spear at the dummy, and I manage to get it to stick in its leg. "Good." The trainer there compliments me, ripping the spear out and handing it to me. "Just try to get it higher next time. Throw it straighter, too." I nod and take it from him, than reposition myself. I throw the weapon again, and this time, it hits it square in the chest. The trainer grins. "Nice job." He says. I'm pleased with myself- that's the only weapon I've even been remotely good at so far- but in all honestly, I don't think I could do the same thing to a real human being. It makes me sick just to think about it.

I begin to wander away and look around at some of the other stations. Livia and I decided to split up in order to learn as much as we possibly could. I spot her with the bows in a corner of the center. She pulls back the string and fires, and the arrow thuds close to the center of the target.

I turn back around to look for another place to go when I run straight into the boy from District 5, Wyatt. I remember him immediately as the volunteer who I thought to be mentally ill. As we stare at each other, a thought crosses my mind as to what illness he actually has, and before I can stop myself, I blurt out, "What's wrong with you?"

I immediately realize how rude that sounded and cover my mouth, embarrassed. "I'm sorry." I begin to apologize. "I didn't mean to say it like tha-"

"Schizophrenia." He interrupts me. I stare at him, a tiny bit confused.

"What?" I ask.

"Schizophrenia." He repeats. "That's what's wrong with me." I take a closer look at him. A crazed expression is planted on his face, and I notice him bring his hands up to his temple as if he's trying to block out a noise of some sort. Suddenly, everything makes more sense. I dimly remember that disease- it's where you hear voices in your head, voices that make you do all sorts of crazy things.

Silence hangs in the air for a long time- I hear Wyatt muttering under his breath, but I can't make out what he's saying- and finally turn to leave. Suddenly, Wyatt blurts, "Can we ally?"

I hesitate for a moment. On the one hand, he seems a bit unpredictable. I have no idea if he would stab me in the back in my sleep. But when I look into his eyes, staring at me hopefully, I feel a touch of pity, and I cave. "I'm in an alliance with Livia, the girl from District 6." I explain to him. "You could join us if you wanted to, though." Wyatt smiles and nods, and just like that, I've made myself another ally.

I guess the bigger the better, right?

* * *

District 10: Jon Winsi, Age 15

I grunt as I bring my sword down towards Maylee. She jumps out of the way, but I twist the blade and press it against her back. "We should probably do something else now." I announce. "We've been practicing with the swords for an hour now." Maylee doesn't respond. She sets down her sword and stomps to a new station, the knot-tying station. I hesitate before walking in the opposite direction, towards the knives.

Ever since we were Reaped, tension has been growing between us. The fact that only one of us is coming home alive is slowly wearing down on us. I'm still not sure whether, if it comes down to it, I'll be able to kill her or not. I want to go home more than I've ever dreamed, but I don't think I'd ever have it in me to end her life. I've considered breaking apart the alliance we've formed so that I wouldn't have the temptation of killing her in her sleep, but as much as I hate to admit it, I need her.

And she needs me.

The trainer greets me cheerily when she meets me. He walks me through the technique for fighting with knives, then lets me practice on a cloth dummy. I swing my knives wildly and stab the soft cloth in the shoulder and the gut. "Nice job." The trainer tells me. "Just try to keep your movements more controlled." I obey her, and my results instantly improve. The trainer smiles at my work. "You're a natural with knives." He compliments. "With those skills, you might very well become the victor." I grin and set the sharp weapons down. It feels good to know that someone believes in me, if only a little bit. His compliment gives me a flicker of hope.

Then I think of Maylee, and the flicker vanishes as quickly as it appeared.

* * *

District 5: Wyatt Foster Junior, Age 17

 _Rinnnnnnnnnnng!_

The lunch bell rings, and I set down the bow I was practicing with. I begin to glance around, looking for Alyxandra and the six girl, Livia, that Alyxandra had told me she had also allied with. I spot them meeting each other by the door to the tribute lunch room and run to them. "Hi." I greet them. Livia looks confused for a second, but Alyxandra whispers something in her ear, and she nods in understanding.

"Hi." She says with a smile. Together, the three of us begin to walk into the lunch room already bustling with tributes.

 _Ha! They don't suspect a thing!_ The voices inside me scream. _That'll make it easier to betray them._

 _But I don't_ want _to betray them._ I argue back. _They're nice to me._

 _They're going to have to die at some point._ The voices point out. _Do you want to win the games?_

 _Yes._ I respond hesitantly.

 _Well, then, you're going to have to kill them._

I sigh. _I guess you're right._ I admit. _Still, I don't want to._

"Wyatt?"

I look up. Livia's staring at me, looking slightly concerned. "You zoned out for a long time." She tells me. I shrug, grabbing a plate from the large table in front of me before she can ask any more questions. I look around at the wide assortment of food, searching for something to eat.

 _Get a sandwich._ Half of the voices tell me. _No, get the porkchops!_ The other half screams. I look back and forth for a moment, trying to make a decision. The voices get louder and louder until my head is ringing with noise.

 _Shut up!_ I finally scream at them. I quickly grab a roll and green beans and sit down next to Livia and Alyxandra.

The table's silent for a moment. After a while, Livia asks, "How was your home life, Wyatt?" I shrug and look down at my food. This goes on for a while, her asking questions and me giving a short, vague response. She eventually gives up on talking to me and turns her attention on Alyxandra. I feel a little bit bad about blocking her out, but I don't want to get too close to my allies.

It'll only make it harder for me to kill them.

* * *

District 12: Erin Arden, Age 15

I survey the training room, my eyes eventually finding Rois and her shiny red hair. She's at the fishing station, where a large, deep pool has been carved into the floor, filled with small plastic fish that seem to gravitate towards the hook that's been thrust into the water. Despite this, Rois can't seem to catch anything. After a moment, she gets frustrated a throws her pole down. The trainer there rolls her eyes and turns around to help someone else, the girl from 8.

I begin to approach her. After a lot of thinking, I've resolved to ally with her. She's a little short tempered, but she seems fun to hang around with, and I think she's the one I trust most out of all of the tributes going into the games, despite the fact that I barely know her.

I clear my throat and Rois glances up from where she kneels by the pool, vainly attempting to catch a fish with just her hands. "What?" She asks, clearly irritated. I shrug.

"Nothing." I say. "I just don't think you're going to catch much of anything with your hands." Rois glares at me.

"Watch me." She challenges, continuing to dip her hands in and grasping for the fish. I look on with amusement as she fails to catch anything and grows more and more frustrated by the minute.

"Why are you still here?" She asks after a moment of failure. I smirk. "I want to ally with you." I say simply. She blinks. "You want to ally with _me_?" She questions, incredulous. I nod. "You have skills I need. I have skills you need. Together, we'd be a powerhouse." Rois stares at me for a moment.

"I don't particularly want an ally." She starts out, and my smile wavers. _What if she says no?_ I have to admit, I hadn't really expected her to reject me. I hold my breath, waiting.

"But my mentor keeps bugging me to get one." She continues. "So, sure. I guess I'll be your ally."

I grin. "Great." I say. I pick up the pole Rois had discarded on the floor earlier. "Let me teach you how to catch a fish."

* * *

District 9: Albin Ainsley, Age 16

I whistle softly to myself as I lean back on the floor, taking in the scene in front of me. At the swords station, two of the Careers, the girls from two and four, are working together to take out a dummy. The other four Careers are by the knives, the boy from two seemingly ordering the other three around. I see the girl from District 8 at the poison station, while her district partner is sitting quietly at the fire building station, bent over a pile of smoking sticks. The girl from District 6 is with the crossbows, and I watch as she fires an arrow into the target with impeccable aim. The two female tributes from nine and twelve are having an argument as they try to slice open a dummy with axes, while on the other side of the giant auditorium, the boy from three is continuously stabbing a dummy in the heart with his sword. I shiver as I remember that only one of these people is going to come away from this event alive, and my death feels as inevitable as ever.

"You okay?" Carlina asks from beside me. We're currently sitting on a bench, taking a short break from all of the action. "You look kind of nervous."

I laugh. "I'm not nervous. Why would I be? I'm only training for a competition that's probably going to end in my bloody and vicious death. Nothing to be nervous about." Carlina chuckles. We fall silent for a moment. Suddenly, I blurt out, "I'm a transgender."

Carlina looks at me, looking a little surprised. "I just thought you might want to know that." I explain quickly. "I mean, we are allies, right? I think you have a right to know that about me." After a minute of Carlina not responding, I wonder if it was a mistake to tell her that. _What if she doesn't want to be my ally anymore?_ To my relief, however, she soon nods and smiles at me.

"Thanks for telling me." She says. I search her eyes as she says this. There's no confusion or disgust in them, as most eyes are after they find out who I really am. There's just acceptance.

And suddenly, I know I can trust Carlina. I know she won't stab me in the back in my sleep, or abandon me in a fight.

I hope she can trust me too.

* * *

District 11: Angelica Broome, Age 13

I lie back on the plush couch I'm currently lying on, closing my eyes and letting out a sigh. Cole sits beside me, flicking through the channels on the TV. They're all focused on the Hunger Games. Cole nudges me, and my eyes open to stare up at those beautiful blue eyes of his. "They're about to talk about us." He murmurs, pointing at the TV. I peer at the screen. Two announcers are sitting on a desk, holding a stack of papers. I hold my breath and wait to see their opinion on us.

"Now, let's move onto District 11, shall we?" One of them says, a man with bright pink hair and unnaturally yellow eyes. "I'm going to be honest here, these tributes are both kind of bland." I feel my heart sink to my stomach. "They're not the weakest tributes in the bunch, that's for sure, but they definitely aren't the strongest, either. To be honest, I predict a bloodbath death for both of them. They're sort of forgettable."

"I agree." The other man says. "They're both pretty young, too, which is bound to hurt them in the long run." I glance over at Cole to see what he's making off all of this. He simply stares at the TV screen, shaking and holding back tears. After a moment, he clicks the OFF button on the remote and the screen turns black. My expression hardens. I don't care what the announcers say. I need Cole to get home. I don't matter anymore. Only Cole. He needs to win.

"Alright." I say, clapping my hands together. "First of all, I think we need another ally." Cole spins around to stare at me in shock.

"Are you sure?" He asks doubtfully. "These are the Hunger Games. If we get another ally, how do we know they won't kill us while we're sleeping?"

"We don't." I respond simply. "But you heard what those announcers said- we're boring and forgettable. If we get a more likable ally, it could give us a major advantage in the games." Cole huffed.

"Who do you suggest choosing?" He asked. I shrugged.

"Maybe Beckett?" I suggested. "He's become pretty popular with the Capitol." Cole looks doubtful.

"I don't know, Angelica… he doesn't seem very trustworthy to me."

"It doesn't matter." I insist. "We need him on our side to make us more memorable. Boring tributes almost _never_ win the Hunger Games. Besides, based on how he volunteered for his brother, I think he can be pretty loyal to us if we get close to him." Cole mulled over my words for a moment and finally gave in.

"Fine." He said grudgingly. "But just know that I don't like this decision. I don't like this decision at all."

 **When I said that Angelica and Cole were bland, I didn't actually mean that. I like both of them a lot (I like all of these characters) and I think their backstories are cool, but since the announcers don't know their histories and strengths and whatnot, I feel like the pair would tend to slip their minds.**

 **Questions:**

 **1.** **Who does Angelica want to ally with?**

 **2.** **What does Albin tell Carlina at training?**

 **Alliances:**

 **Ariana/Blaze/Juno/Octavian/Marine/Nemo**

 **Carlina/Albin**

 **Livia/Alyxandra/Wyatt**

 **Angelica/Cole**

 **Maylee/Jon**

 **Rois/Erin**

 **Loners (for now):**

 **Jessica**

 **Scorpius**

 **Kala**

 **Nathan**

 **Verin**

 **Tom**

 **Beckett**


	22. Training Day 3

**Last training day, hooray! These POVs could get SUPER repetitive, so I decided that to cure my boredom, I would throw in a plot twist. I was so excited by the twist that I literally wrote the majority of the chapter in two days (because honestly, I haven't really worked on this chapter for the past couple of weeks).**

 **This chapter's shoutout goes to Team Shadow simply because they haven't killed of my blind tribute yet even though I've barely reviewed their story. :)**

* * *

District 1: Ariana Angel, Age 15

I wonder if Aquarius is thinking about me right now.

I lie awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. It's a little ways past midnight at this point. I really need to get to sleep- after all, today's the last day of training- but no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to get comfortable against the soft pillows and blankets the Capitol gave me.

The kiss Aquarius and I shared in the guest room keeps replaying in my mind, over and over again. My life back in District 1 feels like a million years ago, despite the fact that I've only been in the Capitol for a few days now. I miss my home. I'm starting to really regret volunteering. I was never super fond of the idea, of course. Killing children has never appealed to me. But I guess I never really thought about trying to avoid volunteering. The Hunger Games were always a part of my life. I didn't think there was any way to change it. And I guess deep down, I always wanted to make my family proud of me. I wanted to prove myself to them, to show them that I had what it took to be a victor.

I guess this is the first time that I've truly realized that I could die.

* * *

District 3: Scorpius Herin, Age 16

I read the riddle over again for what feels like the thousandth time.

 _A window cleaner is cleaning a window on the 25_ _th_ _floor of a skyscraper when he suddenly slips and falls._ The screen in front of me reads. _He has no safety equipment and nothing to soften his fall, but he still survives. How can this be?_

I let out a groan of exasperation. This is so stupid! I consider giving up for a moment, but I remind myself that I need to practice solving problems like this so that I'll be prepared if I come across a riddle in the arena. I take a deep breath and stare at the words for a long time.

Suddenly, an answer comes to me. I begin to furiously type out my answer: _He was inside while cleaning windows._ I wait. After a moment, the screen flashes green. It was right! I can't help but cheer in excitement.

Grinning with pride, I tap the screen, moving onto the next riddle. I suddenly notice someone else's presence behind me, however. I spin around and come face to face with Juno Armstrong.

"What are you doing here, 3?" She asks, her voice full of hostility. I sit up straight and meet her death glare, shooting her one of my own. She only seems amused by my actions, though.

"I'm doing logic puzzles, actually." I respond defiantly. "They help you think. You should try it sometime. Maybe it'll make your peanut sized brain grow to the size of a walnut instead." Juno lets out a snort of laughter.

"You think that _logic puzzles_ are going to help you when I kill you in the arena?" She asks with a chuckle. I feel anger boiling up in my chest, but before I can respond, she punches me in the face out of nowhere. I yelp and fall backwards, landing on the ground with a thud. Juno explodes into fits of laughter as I shake my head, dazed. I open my mouth to say something to her, but before I can, someone else lets out a shout.

 _Oh, God. Out of all the people, it had to be her._

"Hey!" Jessica yells, running to me. "Leave him alone!"

* * *

District 3: Jessica Rastik, Age 17

I sprint towards Scorpius, my hair flying out behind me as I go. _What are you doing?!_ My head screams at me. I ignore it and continue to run. "Hey!" I call out to Juno, who's standing over Scorpius with a smirk on her face, as I go. "Leave him alone!" Juno turns, surprised. Her eyes fall on me and her grin grows wider.

"Are you coming to save your little boyfriend?" She teases.

"She's _not_ my girlfriend." Scorpius growls from the ground. It cuts like a knife, but I hold my ground.

"If I were you, I'd back away right now." I threaten, though my voice is higher than I intended it to be. "You don't want to get on my bad side." Juno cackles.

"Oh, no." She mocks. "I'm _so_ scared. You're right. I should be terrified of a little wimpy girl from District 3." My vision turns red.

"You think you're so great just because you're a Career!" I snap. I'm half-consciously aware of other tributes watching the argument, but it doesn't faze me. "Well, news flash: you're not as amazing as you think! You strut around the Training Center as if you own the place and bully people wherever you go, trying to cover up the fact that in the end, you're no tougher than anyone else here. I bet you'll be the first one to die once you get into the arena, though. You being a jerk won't help you in the Hunger Games."

Juno snarls and throws a punch towards my stomach. It's wild and out of control, however, which makes it relatively easy for me to block. I then proceed to hit her in the gut. It's not hard, but it's enough to make her stagger a little. Juno looks shocked for a moment. She stares at me, than turns and struts away. "You'll be the first one I kill in the arena!" She shouts over her shoulder as she walks off.

I smile, knowing that I beat the all-powerful Juno Armstrong in a battle. My smile soon falls when her words sink in, though.

What have I just done?

* * *

District 12: Beckett Roy, Age 17

"Um… Beckett?"

I pause from my sword training and turn around, wiping the sweat off my brow. A young girl, I think from District 11, stands in front of me. Her district partner stands behind her, looking a tiny bit irritated.

"What is it?" I ask. The girl shifts back and forth on her feet.

"Well…" She begins. "I was wondering if…" She hesitates, then blurts out, "Do you want to ally with us?"

The question takes me by surprise. I never really considered joining an alliance. They're pretty risky, after all. But there are some pluses to having allies, too. And I doubt that these two tributes will betray me. They seem pretty trustworthy.

"Alright." I finally agree. The girl smiles enthusiastically.

"Great!" She says. "My name's Angelica, and this is Cole." She nods to the boy behind her, who grunts and stares at the ground. "Do you want to come with us to the fire building station?"

"Sure." I say, shrugging, setting down the sword I was holding and following them away.

I hope it was a smart decision for me to join them. After all, it could mean life or death for me in the arena. And Sasha is counting on me to come home alive.

* * *

District 10: Maylee Templeton, Age 15

"I think we need to come up with a plan for the bloodbath." Jon tells me as he bites into a sandwich. I nod, absently playing with the spaghetti on my plate. "Only one of us should go into it." He continues.

"I can go in." I interject. I don't like the idea of Jon risking his life to save me. But he shakes his head.

"I'll do it." He says. "I don't think I could handle it if you died in the bloodbath."

I roll my eyes. "I won't die." I assure him. "I'm pretty good at slipping through things unnoticed. I'll be fine. Trust me."

"I don't want you to get distracted, though." Jon argues back. I scoff angrily.

"I _won't_ get distracted." I say. "I can do it!"

"I can't let you go in there alone!" Jon says.

"I don't need you to protect me!" I shout at him. "I'm not a toddler!"

"But I don't want you to die!" Jon yells. "I could never live with myself!"

I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Then I randomly blurt out, "I love you."

There's an awkward silence. Then Jon murmurs, "I love you too."

* * *

District 5: Kala Haggart, Age 16

I've been spending a lot of my time in training with the boy from District 6, Nathan. He doesn't seem like the most… skilled tribute out there, I guess. He's really nice, though.

" _Could Tom Shavel please exit the Training Center?"_ A loud, booming voice announces. I glance towards the boy from 8, who begins to slowly make his way away from the station he was at.

"I wonder what that's about." Nathan says from beside me, tugging his knife from where it's sticking out of a dummy's heart. I shrug. For a moment, the two of us train in silence. Finally, Nathan says, "Would you like to be my ally?"

I cringe. I was hoping he wouldn't ask about that. I think that even if he were to somehow survive the bloodbath, he'd be more of a burden to me than anything else. But he's so sweet…

"Sure." I say. Nathan beams and hugs me, which I return with surprise.

"You won't regret it." He promises me, pulling away and facing the dummy in front of him once more.

I hope I won't.

* * *

District 4: Marine Grey, Age 16

I fill my paper cup to the brim with cold, clear water from the cooler in front of me, gulping it down in a matter of seconds. Beside me, Juno does the same, panting. We've been practicing together for almost two hours straight, and finally, we both agreed that we needed a break.

Juno's pretty cool. I've been spending most of my time with her, as she's the only Career member I can actually tolerate. The District 1 tributes and Nemo are all way too soft, and Octavian is always acting like he's better than everyone else just because he's the leader of the pack, which can really get on my nerves. I considered becoming the leader, but at the last moment, I decided against it. It has its perks, of course, but it automatically paints a target on your back, and that's the last thing I want in the Hunger Games.

"I can't believe that District 3 girl dared to talk to me like that!" Juno rants. She's been upset the fiasco with Jessica since this morning. I can't help but smile a little. After all, it's kind of funny.

"It doesn't really matter," I point out, shrugging, "Just kill her in the arena."

"That's what I told her I'd do." Juno assures me. "She's going to regret messing with me."

I throw my cup in a trash bin near me. "You ready to train again?" I ask her. She nods eagerly, and together we walk back to the row of dummies we were practicing on earlier.

I realize that maybe, just maybe, I've found myself a friend.

* * *

District 8: Tom Shavel, Age 14

" _Could Tom Shavel please exit the Training Center?"_ The intercom above announces. I sigh, aggravated. _What is it this time?_ Hopefully it's nothing very important. I have training to do, after all.

I walk slowly to the elevator and press the button. The doors slide open almost immediately, and I step inside. I frown. They never told me where to go. I hesitate for a moment, then click on the button that reads _D8_. After that, I wait. A soft melody plays from a speaker on the wall. It's actually kind of annoying, and I'm tempted to smash the speaker into a million pieces, but I decide against it. I don't want to have the Capitol on my bad side.

Finally, the elevator opens up, and I walk into the room in front of me. I immediately notice that the lights are off and the curtains are closed, which gives everything a bit of a creepy effect. I look around me, but it's too dark to see much of anything. A shiver runs down my spine as I realize just how easy it would be for someone to creep up on me in here. _Relax._ I tell myself. _The Capitol won't kill you before you get into the arena… I'm pretty sure, at least..._

My thoughts are interrupted as a tall, thin man steps out of the shadows. He has short brown hair and glowing purple eyes, and a smile tugs at his lips when he sees me. I realize suddenly that I know him. I know him all too well.

"Tom Shavel, is it?" Drago Malik, the head gamemaker of the 48th Hunger Games, asks. I nod nervously. I'm starting to get freaked out. What's going on?

Drago chuckles at my horrified expression. He snaps his fingers, and on que, two thick bodyguards enter my line of view. A third man stands between them, his head down. After a moment, he looks up at me, and I can't help but gasp at what I see. The man's light brown eyes are hollow and sunken into his skull, and there's a wild look to them reminding me of someone who's seen too much. His hair is dark and tangled, a line of stubble forming above his lip. He seems oddly familiar, but I can't put my finger on why…

 _Oh my God._

"...Son?" Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.

It's my father.

I stare at my dad, unable to completely process what I'm seeing. He's here. He's here. He's actually here…

My dad begins to run to me, his arms opening up for a hug, but before he can reach me he's held back by the bodyguards. He kicks and thrashes, but it's no use.

Drago claps his hands together, grinning maniacally. "Well that was a fun family reunion, wasn't it?" He says. He turns to me. "You're probably wondering why I brought your father here to see you."

I ignore him, my attention focused on my dad. I find it hard to speak, but I finally croak out the words, "Where's mom?"

Drago sighs. "I was _getting_ to that if you would just let me explain." He says impatiently. " _As I was saying,_ your parents were just recently caught in the act of attempting to assassinate our dear President Haza."

The words come like a punch to the stomach. "What?" I whisper.

Drago nods matter-of-factly. "Your mother was killed on the spot, of course." He explains. "We decided to keep your father around, however. We figured he'd be of some use to us. He gave us quite a lot of information, didn't you, Marco?"

My dad-Marco, I guess- hangs his head with shame. Drago laughs. "He's no longer a necessity to us anymore, though. President Haza gave me specific instructions to torture him in the most painful way possible. And there's no greater pain than fighting against your own kind for the entertainment of others."

My stomach drops. Is my dad coming into the Hunger Games with me?

"And so, alas, I made the decision to send your father into the Hunger Games." Drago says, confirming my fears. "It's a shame, Tom. I can tell you're a survivor. You could've very well been a victor. But unfortunately, the game rules state that with the exception of quarter quells, only 24 tributes can enter the arena. With Marco going in, we have to… dispose of one tribute. Unfortunately, that tribute is you."

Before I can even register what's happening, one of the bodyguards takes out a gun and points it at me. I'm frozen with fear as he pulls the trigger. _He's shooting me. Oh my God. I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die…_

The bullet hits me in the heart, sending a dark stain of blood spreading across my shirt. I stare in surprise at the wound before toppling backwards.

"Son!" I hear my dad scream.

Everything goes dark.

* * *

District 4: Nemo Fisher, Age 18

" _All tributes, please gather in the middle of the Training Center for a special announcement."_

I set down the axe I was holding and pause for a moment to catch my breath. Something's wrong. First, the boy from 8 was called to exit the room. Now all of the tributes are being called together for a "special announcement". I don't know what's going on, but I don't like it.

After a minute, I begin to make my way towards the center of the giant room. I see most of the other tributes doing the same, looking confused. By the time I reach the middle, most of the others are already there. I'm surprised to see Drago Malik standing in the midst of them, an evil glitter in his eyes. There's also a dirty-looking man behind him. In a way, he reminds me of the District 8 tribute who left earlier. _This whole situation is just getting weirder and weirder._

After a little while of waiting, Drago surveys the crowd to make sure everyone's present, then begins to speak.

"Good afternoon, tributes." He greets us. "I'm sure you're all very confused as to why I'm here right now." There are a few nods of agreement. Drago pauses, letting the suspense build up, then continues.

"It's quite a long tale, and while I'd love to give you a full account of everything that happened, I'm afraid we simply don't have the time. But long story short, this man-" He jerks his head to the person behind him- "has attempted to murder the president of Panem. Of course, he didn't succeed. Our security easily outsmarted his dim-witted district mind. But we needed to find a way to punish him in the worst way possible. And so I decided that the best way to make him pay for his actions would be to send him into the Hunger Games." I look around, trying to see what the reactions of some of the other tributes are. Most of them are staring at the head gamemaker with wide eyes full of terror and confusion. Drago smiles, looking amused. "We didn't want 25 tributes to enter the arena, though. But it just so happens that this man's son, the District 8 male, was Reaped for the Hunger Games himself. Like I said before, I was given the orders to make a cruel punishment. Going into the Hunger Games is only part of it. The other part was watching his son die… right in front of his eyes."

There are whispers as the tributes begin to realize what this means. Drago nods. "Tom Shavel is dead." He announces. "The man before me, Marco Shavel, will take his place in the games."

The auditorium is completely silent for a moment. Then a ripple of murmurs passes through the crowd, some excited, some fearful. The boy from 6 is crying softly, and the 8 girl, Alyxandra, seems to be struggling to hold in her tears. I hear Marine whisper to Juno, "One down already! Now things are getting exciting." Jessica, the girl from 3, glances over at the pair with a look of disgust on her face before turning away, a single tear rolling down her cheek. I just stand there, unable to completely comprehend what I've just heard. He's dead. He's dead. He's dead…

 _He had to die at some point for you to come home anyway._ I remind myself. Still, I didn't expect it… I didn't expect it to happen so soon…

WIth the announcement made, Drago begins to walk away. Before he leaves, however, he spins around and says with a cruel smile on his face, "May the odds be _ever_ in your favor."

 **Oops.**

 **25th Place: Tom Shavel- Shot in the heart by one of Drago Malik's bodyguards**

 **This was** _ **not**_ **part of the original plan. For a long time, I was going to have Tom die on the first night, where he would get into a fight with Scorpius and eventually get killed. However, when I decided to throw in the plot twist, I realized that he would work best with the idea that was forming in my head, so his life ended here. Tom was definitely one of my favorite tributes, and his more depressed view on life was something I really enjoyed. I also felt like he was the easiest character for me to write in these games. As much as I loved him, however, I could never see him as my victor. At least he got to see his dad before he died, though, which is really all that he wanted in the end. Sorry, IciclePower33, but at least you can still cheer on Alyx!**

 **Wow. We just got out of the training days and we're already one man down. Honestly, I have no idea how I'm going to kill of 23 more of these tributes, they're all so amazing. :o**

 **Alliances:**

 **Ariana/Blaze/Juno/Octavian/Marine/Nemo**

 **Carlina/Albin**

 **Livia/Alyxandra/Wyatt**

 **Angelica/Cole/Beckett**

 **Maylee/Jon**

 **Rois/Erin**

 **Kala/Nathan**

 **Loners (for now):**

 **Jessica**

 **Scorpius**

 **Verin**

 **Marco**

 **If any of you didn't understand the whole plot with Tom, at some point I'm going to be posting another chapter that will be placed after the chariot rides giving a POV about the attempted assassination of President Haza. I'll also post an author's note at the end explaining the entire series of events to clear up any other confusion you might have. See you at the Private Sessions! :D**


	23. Private Sessions

**Here's a new chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

District 4: Marine Grey, Age 16

Nightmares plague my sleep the day before the private sessions.

 _I'm standing in the arena, holding a bloodied sword in my hand. I look down and see the girl from five at my feet, a hole through her heart. I realize suddenly that I've killed her. I watch in horror as her skin begins to peel off, leaving behind a charred and battered skeleton of what was once a human. I jump back, surprised, as the skeleton gets to its feet, and before I have time to realize what I'm doing, I'm running, running, running…_

 _The scene changes. I'm lying on a large, comfy bed, draped in layers of thick and silky cloth. I hear a door creak over beside me, and I glance over. My eyes widen in shock as six skeletons walk through the door. They grab my arms and legs and lift me up, despite my screaming and kicking. They exit the door and I find that we're standing in a graveyard. Twenty three graves stand scattered around the yard, though some seem to have been dug up… from the inside. There's a sinking realization in my gut as I realize that these are the graves of the tributes in the 48_ _th_ _Hunger Games. The six that carry me now must be the ones I've killed. I'm so absorbed in this realization that I barely notice where the skeletons are taking me until they suddenly deposit me in a large hole. I find myself falling, falling, falling…_

 _The scene changes again. This time I'm back in the arena, inside the Cornucopia. The five other Careers are with me, but as I stare at them, they begin to change. Their skin turns to orange fur, and large fangs start growing out of their mouth. Before I know it, five golden beasts are surrounding me, creeping closer to where I sit, cornered against the golden wall of the Cornucopia. They have glowing red eyes, and they growl with the force of twenty lions. Finally they pounce, and I find myself being torn to shreds…_

 _I gasp and open my eyes. It was just a dream. Oh, thank God, it was all just a dream. I let out a huge sigh of relief and swing my legs over the bed I'm lying on. I stare around myself for a moment, and it suddenly crosses my mind that I'm in my room. That's weird. Shouldn't I be in the Capitol?_

 _A voice enters my mind. It's… It's Tom. The boy from District 8. He murmurs in my ear, whispers of sadness and torture. Another voice soon joins him, and then another, and another, until suddenly 23 different people fill my mind. They shout at me, some crying out for mercy, others screaming for revenge._

" _Please, don't." The boy from 6 whimpers. "It's so dark here, so cold. Please, spare me!"_

" _So this is the girl who volunteered for these games." Hisses Scorpius, his voice like that of a snakes; cold and harsh. "You've brought this torture upon yourself."_

" _Hey, look!" Yells Kala. "Here's the one who killed me! Let's get her!"_

 _I shake my head, trying to get them to go away, to shut up, to just_ stop _for a moment. But they don't. They get louder, and louder, and louder…_

 _Then there's silence. Nothing but quiet. I lean back, resting in the peace, smiling with contempt. But then I notice where I am and I panic. I'm… in a coffin. I'm dead._

 _Without trying, I can feel myself drifting up, turning to dust and floating away from the large white structure I've been placed in. I fly through layers and layers of dirt until I'm finally thrust into the sky. There, I see a family in front of my gravestone- my family. The looks on their face show nothing but disappointment. My father looks up, scowling when he sees me, and says, "I told you not to volunteer. Getting 24_ _th_ _place, the first killed in the bloodbath… it's embarrassing, really. You've shamed our family, you know. I hope you're happy."_

 _Everything goes dark._

I wake up with a gasp and look around. It takes me a moment to get a hold of my surroundings, but I let out a breath of happiness when I discover I'm back in my room in the Capitol. I'm okay. None of that was real. Still, that dream was… really disturbing. I hope it's not a look into the future. That wouldn't bode well for me.

As I think about this, it suddenly hits me what today is. The Private Sessions. A grin spreads across my face and I leap out of bed, trying to shake off last night's nightmare.

Let's go kick some butt.

* * *

District 1: Blaze Hale, Age 17

" _Blaze Hale!"_ The speaker overhead calls. I sigh and stand from my seat. Being from District 1, I have to be the very first tribute to perform my skills for the Gamemakers, so the pressure's on to kick things off with a bang. I can't screw up. I need to get a good score to impress the Capitol and gain some sponsors. I never wanted this, but now that I'm in the Hunger Games, I have to win. For Platinum.

"Good luck." Ariana whispers to me as I pass her. I smile and thank her before leaving.

I enter the auditorium, the door behind me banging shut with a metallic _clang_. Out of the corner of my eye, I'm aware of every single Gamemaker staring in my direction, waiting to see what I'm going to do. I take a deep breath and begin.

I've been preparing my routine for weeks now, even before I volunteered. I walk to the spears station, making sure to keep a cocky expression on my face, and pick up one of the weapons on the rack. I weigh it in my hand for a moment before launching it at the dummy facing me. It sticks in its chest.

I spare a glance upwards and see that most of the Gamemakers seem impressed by my skill so far. It gives me a boost of confidence, and I continue to chuck spears, most of them landing in fatal spots. Once, I completely miss, and I hear someone snicker. Anger boils in my chest, and I'm tempted to say something to them, but I decide to keep quiet. Back home, I would never let that slide. But here… Saying something bad to the Gamemakers could cost you a good score.

After the dummy has been peppered with holes, I move on to the edible plants station. Most of the Careers focus entirely on weapons in their training and don't bother with survival stations. This'll usually cost them their life. I didn't want to make the same mistake they often do, so I spent much of time at various survival stations in training. Now, I pass the edible plants test with flying colors. By the time I finish, I have only about a minute left. I spend the time with the swords, slicing and hacking away with the thin blade until I'm dismissed. I let out a breath of relief, thankful the Private Sessions are finally over for me.

I take the elevator up to my room after sending a quick smile Ariana's wave, to which she thankfully returns, and plop down on the couch. I flick on the TV, where two hosts are discussing the upcoming games with enthusiasm. "I think that 2 girl has this thing in the bag." One of them says, referring to Juno, my overly aggressive ally.

"Maybe, but I wouldn't count that boy from District 1 out just yet." The other points out. I perk up at the mention of me. "He seems strong and capable." The two announcers continue to talk, but I don't pay much attention to any of it. All I can think about is how someone believes in me. Someone thinks that I'm skilled enough to leave that cursed arena with my life. I can't help but smile at the thought. Killing others is going to be difficult, but hey, in the arena, it's kill or be killed, right?

I can win. I just need to play my cards right.

* * *

District 6: Livia Fleet, Age 15

I tap my feet nervously against the floor, waiting for my turn. Being from District 6, I've had to sit around for a fair amount of time. In that time, I've been relentlessly planning a strategy on what to show the Gamemakers in my Private Sessions. I've decided to spend most of my time showing off my crossbow and making a makeshift shelter, as I've found that I'm pretty good at that. Now, I sit shaking in my seat, hoping that I'll be able to make a good impression.

I glance towards Alyx, who's staring at the wall with a glazed expression on her face. It's clear she's deep in thought, probably over the loss of her district partner, Tom. I don't think she was ever super close with him, but still, seeing someone from your own district dying is tough. "How're you holding up?" I ask her softly. She shrugs.

"I'm fine." She whispers. I think it's pretty obvious that she's _not_ fine, but I decide not to push it. The two of us fall silent.

Suddenly, I hear a loud sob from behind me. I turn around and see Marco Shavel, the man that replaced Tom after he was killed, with his head between his hands, crying uncontrollably. After a small hesitation, I stand from my seat and walk over to him. "Hey." I murmur. "Is it alright if I sit here?" I gesture to the empty seat beside him. He doesn't respond, which I assume means I can.

"I'm sorry to hear about Tom." I say. Again, there's no response. "He was a good person. It was pretty terrible, hearing how he had been killed."

This time, the man gives a muffled answer. "Why did I leave him?" He says. I wait for him to continue. After a small pause, he does. "I thought I could change Panem." Marco's voice is bitter and full of sarcasm. "I thought that I would be able to bring an end to all this cruelty, to stop the Hunger Games forever. I thought… I thought I could create a better world for my son." His voice breaks. Then he smiles, but it's hollow and devoid of happiness. "Look where that hope got me." He shakes his head and then lets out another sob.

I don't know what to say for a long time. Finally, I tell him, "I'm sorry." I cringe at how lame my statement is, but Marco doesn't seem to notice. I take a deep breath and keep going. "Well… A few of the other tributes and I have made an alliance. I was wondering… do you want to join it? So far it's just me, the District 8 girl, and the District 5 boy." There's silence for a long time. Finally, Marcus replies simply, "Okay." There's an awkward pause as neither of us make an attempt to speak. I'm about to go back to my seat when Alyx abruptly stands and walks towards us. She stands in front of Marco and looks him dead in the eye. He looks up at her, confused.

"I never knew a whole lot about Tom." Alyx begins. "He was always a little more closed off and secretive. But I think he was really nice deep down. He told me a little about himself. He said that he grew up in an orphanage, where he was treated really terribly." A tear begins to form in Marco's eye, but he motions for her to continue.

"Tom told me that the other orphans always believed his parents died in a rebel attack a few days after he was born." Alyx says shakily. "He never believed the rumors, though. He always believed that his mom and dad were still out there, waiting for the right time to take back their son." Marco bursts into tears at this, and she embraces him. "I'm sorry." She says, her voice quiet. They're the same words that I spoke just a moment before when comforting the broken man before me. But somehow, they seem to have so much more meaning coming from Alyx's mouth.

* * *

District 12: Erin Arden, Age 15

I drum my fingers impatiently against the arm of my chair as I wait for my chance to impress the Gamemakers in the private sessions. I'm currently the last one in the room, and I enjoy the eerie silence that's enveloped me ever since Beckett left.

After a moment, my district partner bursts through the doors, looking exhausted. I stand up and push the doors back open, entering the huge gymnasium before me. I can immediately see that the Gamemakers are tired and drunk as can be, and they barely pay any attention to me as I walk to the fire building station. I get the fire going quickly, and I glance over to watch their reactions, but most of them take no notice of my accomplishment. I can even see one beginning to doze off.

 _Alright._ I tell myself. _Clearly, I have to step things up a notch._ I walk to the bow and arrow station, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves as I go. I pick up the bow there and notch an arrow into its delicately made string, pull it back, and release. The arrow flies towards the dummy I was aiming for, but my hands were shaking, so I end up completely missing. I'm not much good with a bow, anyway.

"You suck!" A Gamemaker drunkenly calls out, then sits down in a chorus of giggles. I feel a burning rage settle in my gut as the words sink in. _They think that they can talk to me that way, huh? Well they thought wrong._

I stare up at the balcony where the Gamemakers sit, a sneer forming on my lips. "Enjoying yourselves?" I call up at them sarcastically. They look down at me, confused. A few shift nervously in their seats.

I begin to run towards the axe station, my heart pounding. I'm about to show those stupid Gamemakers who they're messing with. When I reach the station, I grab the heaviest axe I can find. Normally, I would barely be able to lift it, but with the added adrenaline coursing through me, I manage to pick it up. I then head towards the edge of the auditorium, where there are a row of large, square windows. Without warning, I swing my axe down on the nearest one. It doesn't break immediately, which doesn't surprise me, seeing as they're probably made especially thick in case a weapon is thrown their way, but it doesn't faze me. I pound on it again and again until finally the glass shatters. I don't bother wasting time trying to escape through the window, as I have no doubt that there's a force field surrounding the Training Center designed to keep tributes from getting out, but instead go to the next one, hacking at it until it, too, breaks. On and on I go, slicing away at the windows until their glass gives away. The Gamemakers have begun panicking, shouting at me to stop, but I ignore them. This is the price they pay for insulting me.

Finally, once I reach the sixth window, I feel a sharp pinch in my arm. I fall to the ground, feeling woozy, and notice through fuzzy eyesight a Peacekeeper standing above me, holding a syringe. That's the last thing I see before my vision goes black.

* * *

District 7: Verin Fleras, Age 18

I fidget with the compass pin my mom gave me in the visitor's room back in District 7 nervously, staring at the TV screen with anticipation. I've been waiting for the Training Scores to come out for more than an hour, now, and the anticipation is practically killing me. Beside me, Carlina is hiccupping like crazy. It begins to get annoying after a while, so I suggest to her, "Go put a pen between your teeth and drink water for ten seconds. It'll make the hiccups go away." Carlina stares at me like I just told her to build a rocket and fly to the moon.

"Are you sure that'll work?" She asks. I nod.

"Positive." I tell her. "It's a trick my mom taught me back home." Thinking about my old life in District 7 threatens to make me cry, but I force the tears down.

Carlina hesitantly leaves the couch we're sitting on and walks away. I hear her ask our escort for a pen, then the sound of running water. After a moment, there's a shout of, "It works!" Then Carlina plops back down on the couch, grinning.

I'm about to tell her something, but before I can speak, Caesar Flickerman pops up onscreen and I bolt upright. Carlina grabs the remote and turns up the volume, and our mentors and escort sit down beside us, everyone eagerly awaiting the coming announcement.

Flickerman gives a quick introduction before moving onto the scores. I pay careful attention to everyone, especially the Careers, as they'll be my fiercest competition. The District 1 tributes get fairly average scores (for Careers), an 8 and a 9. The District 2 girl, however, gets a 10. _Juno Armstrong._ I mentally add her to my list of those to watch out for. The only other Career to score a 10 is Marine, who is no doubt going to be a force to be reckoned with. I hope I don't get into a fight with the Careers- I'll probably be doomed.

The scores keep flashing by, none of them particularly surprising (although the 6 girl scores a 7, which marks her a threat to be careful around). It's not long before my District is up. I cross my fingers as I see my face show up on the screen. "In District 7, Verin Fleras receives a score of 8!" _An… an 8? I got a score of 8?!_ I let out a huge cheer, proudly accepting the praise from those around me. I feel my heart wince in sympathy as I watch Carlina get the measly score of 4, but even that doesn't dampen my bright mood.

"That's the highest score yet!" Fialla compliments. "You could very well be the victor!"

"Unlike your District partner." My mentor, Birchen, adds under his breath. I don't think he meant for Carlina to hear it, but she did. Tears threaten to spill out over her eyes, and she promptly excuses herself from the room. I feel terrible for her, even though I know I probably shouldn't. After all, she needs to die for me to come home.

The thought sickens me.

 **I think I'm going to stop sponsor questions for a little while. It's become very hard for me to keep track of them, and I need to get them reorganized. I'll most likely reopen sponsoring once the games start up.**


	24. Training Score Reveals

**Here's the rest of the training scores.**

* * *

Iris Lasumi, 22 Years Old

I plop down on the couch with a bowl of ice cream resting in the crook of my elbow. I grab the remote beside me and flick on the TV, giddy with excitement. The training score reveals are finally happening! I've been waiting for this moment all day, spending much of my time pacing around the room nervously. I really hope Beckett gets a good score. I want him to win _so badly_.

Caesar Flickerman's bright face appears on the screen in front of me, his lips stretched into a smile. "Good evening, Panem!" He exclaims. "Today's the day we've all been waiting for: the training score reveals! Without any further ado, I give you the scores!" I squeal with excitement and sink further into the couch.

The first face to appear is the boy from District 1. "First up is Blaze Hale with a score of 9!" Caesar says enthusiastically. The 1 boy's face is replaced with the girl. "Ariana Angel gets a score of 8!"

Octavian's face pops up next. I chuckle softly to myself as I imagine Nickel hopefully staring at the television screen at his house, praying Octavian will get a good score. "Octavian Grimes with the score of 9! Next is Juno Armstrong with a 10!" _A 10._ 10s are hard to earn, even for skilled tributes. Juno must have been pretty powerful in her session.

"Scorpius Herin has a score of 5! Jessica Rastik earns a score of 4!" These two scores don't surprise me much, though I thought Scorpius would get a slightly higher score than he did.

"In District 4, we have Nemo Fisher with a score of 8! Marine receives a 10!" The Career pack's scores are pretty good this year. I can definitely see one of them winning.

"Next we have Wyatt Foster Junior, who gets a 3! Kala earns a 4!" My mind lingers on the 5 boy as his name is called. I've heard rumors that he's schizophrenic. I wonder if they're true.

"Nathan Hayes gets a 2 as his score! Livia Fleet gets a 7!" I can't help but feel a sliver of pity for the 6 boy, who everyone suspects will die in the bloodbath.

"In District 7, Verin Fleras receives a score of 8! Carlina Trask gets a 4!" I dig my spoon deep into my ice cream, pulling out a large chunk of it and sticking it in my mouth as I wait for the next numbers. The District 7 boy seems like he has a shot of winning, and he's sort of handsome, too.

"District 8's Marco Shavel gets a 0! Alyxandra Lernan takes a 5!" My eyes widen in surprise as the zero flashes on screen. News of the new Hunger Games participant came in last night, and I kept wondering what his score would be. I guess it makes sense that he earned nothing- after all, he _is_ a rebel- but it's still a little bit shocking to see.

"Moving onto District 9, Albin Ainsley gets a score of 5! Rois McCormack also gets a 5!" Huh. That's weird. I thought the girl would score better than she did.

"In District 10, Jon Winsi gets a 5, while Maylee Templeton receives a 4!

"District 11's Cole Cambridge has a 3! Angelica Broome receives a 4!" I had hoped the two would get better scores, since I heard they allied with Beckett, but they're only 13, so I guess they did alright considering the circumstances.

"Erin Arden gets a score of 1, and last but not least, Beckett Roy receives an 8 as his score! Thanks for tuning in, and have a wonderful night."

I let out a cheer after the program ends. Beckett earned an 8! He was tied for the highest scoring outlier in the games! I'm so happy that I barely even notice the fact that Erin got a 1 as her score.

This is going to be exciting.

 **Please review! After this we have some interview preparations.**


	25. Interview Preparations

**I don't have much time right now, but I wanted to post this. Enjoy!**

* * *

District 1: Ariana Angel, Age 15

I wake up as the sun's just peeking over the horizon, sending a plume of golden light through my window. I yawn and stretch, throwing my legs over the side of my bed. Still half-asleep, I stumble out of my room through the hallway and into the large kitchen area. Only my mentor, Fanfare, is there. Everyone else must still be asleep.

"Get a good night's sleep?" Fanfare asks me, sipping a cup of coffee. I snort.

"I wish." I respond. I grab a piece of bacon from a plate in the center of the table and drop it into my mouth.

"Eat as much as you can," Fanfare advises, dumping a load of sausage and pancakes onto my plate. "You're going to need your energy for the interviews tonight."  
We eat in silence for a moment. As I bite into an apple, I eventually ask him, "Do you ever regret volunteering?" It's a random question, and Fanfare seems a bit taken aback, but he lets out a wry chuckle.  
"Sure, I do," He responds, "I've regretted volunteering ever since I came out of that cursed arena." He seems to notice my downfallen expression and softens a little. He gives me a pat on the back. "There are some pluses to being a victor, though," He adds reassuringly, "I'm rich, at least. And I don't have to worry about cleaning my house. I can usually just hire someone to do it." I sigh, staring down at my plate. Fanfare senses my sadness. "You having some regrets yourself?" He asks. I nod.

"I didn't even want to go into the arena in the first place," I grunt, spearing a piece of sausage violently with my fork, "My stupid parents forced me into it. And besides, my little brother was super excited that I was going to volunteer. He looks up to me. I wanted to make him proud. I couldn't just let him down." At this point, everyone else has come into the room, everyone looking excited. I wave at Blaze. He smiles back, but I can see bags under his eyes. I guess I'm not the only one who's been having trouble sleeping.

As everyone begins to eat, Emaria claps her hands together. "So what's the plan for today?" She asks. "We have a lot of work to do and only a little bit of time to get it done. I can help you two out with posture and whatnot," She says, pointing to Blaze and I. "Maybe I can take one of you for the morning, and in the afternoon, we can switch?" I give a shrug of agreement.

"I'll go with Fanfare first." I offer. I finish up the plate I was eating and stand from the table. Emaria gives a nod of approval and turns to Blaze. "I guess it's just you and me now, then!" She says with a smile. I think I catch Blaze rolling his eyes as he gets up to leave, but it might just be my imagination.

Fanfare follows me to the couch, where we both sit down. He starts the conversation. "So what angle do you want to play?" He asks. I shrug.

"I haven't really thought about it." I respond honestly.

"You could try being sexy," Fanfare suggests, "That's usually how the 1 girls play their cards." I shake my head immediately.

"That's not my style." I say defiantly.

"What _is_ your style, then?" My mentor persists. I realize that he has a point. After a moment of not responding, he says, "Why don't you try the sexy angle and then we can take things from there." I sigh.

"Fine." I agree.

We quickly realize that the angle is not for me. Or any angle, it seems. No matter what I do, I always end up screaming and shouting insults so loudly that Emaria once had to come in to make sure everything was alright.

"Ariana," Fanfare says, groaning with exasperation, "You can't just yell at the Capitol. No one will want to sponsor you." I frown and cross my arms over my chest. I know he's right. But being nice and sweet can be extremely difficult sometimes.

"You could try being mysterious." Fanfare suggests. I shrug. I doubt it'll be any different than the other angles I've tried, but it's worth a shot, I guess.

Fanfare clears his throat and straightens up as if he's Caesar Flickerman and smiles at me. "Good evening, Ariana!" He greets. "How are you today?"

"Fine." I practically spit the words at my mentor.  
"Please, tell me about your homelife." Fanfare invites me.

"It's fine." I respond simply. "There's a lot of… Madness." He raises his eyebrow.

"Actually," He mutters to himself, "This might work." We continue to practice, him asking questions, me giving vague answers. When we're finished, I realize that I actually might not bomb my interviews like I originally thought I would.

Panem isn't going to know what hit them.

* * *

District 5: Wyatt Foster Jr., Age 17

"Try it again," My mentor, Trisha, says with a frustrated sigh, "But this time, try not to scream as much."

Trisha decided that my best bet for the interviews would be to act charismatic. She quickly realized, however, that there were many flaws to that strategy. She's surprisingly patient with me, however, considering the fact that I do something different for my angle every single time we practice.

"Hello, Wyatt!" She begins again, acting like that one interview guy who's name I can't remember. "How are you feeling on this fine evening?"

 _Why do you care?_ The voices hiss in my ear. "Why do you care?" I repeat. Trisha mutters something to herself, but continues.

"Has the Capitol been good to you so far?" She asks.

 _They're sending you off to die a bloody death._ The voices scream. _Of course you're not!"_

"Not really," I respond, "In fact, I sort of hate it here." There's a loud, over dramatic groan as my mentor slunks down in her chair. She takes a deep breath.

"Why's that?" She finally mutters.

"Why's that?" I snap. " _WHY'S THAT?!_ It's because you Capitolite people are so STUPID! The Hunger Games are terrible! You're terrible! Everyone here are idiots! You're all a bunch of morons that do-"

"WYATT," Trisha explodes, "You can't SAY that! C-A-N-T. Can't! You won't win if you do that in your interview."

"So what?" I exclaim. "I'm going to die anyway. I might as well leave a mark."

"I'll admit, you probably are going to die," Trisha responds, "But at least make an attempt to survive! Don't just give up! Now, we're going to try this again. But _this time_ , you're not going to act like a maniac on front of all of Panem."

 _She doesn't want you to shout at the Capitol, huh?_ The voices inside me murmur gleefully. _Give her what she wants, then. Don't say anything the entire interview!_

Trisha begins to ask me questions. "So, what's life like in District 5?" I refuse to respond, instead looking down at the couch. My mentor waits for me to answer with growing impatience. "Did you hear me?" She asks, the aggravation clear in her voice. " _What's life like in District 5?"_ I continue to remain silent. Trisha tries once more, this time screaming the words at my face. " _WHAT'S LIFE LIKE IN DISTRICT 5?!"_ There's nothing but quiet. Trisha buries her face in her hands. "You have to give some sort of response to the questions." She mumbles. I ignore her, and she looks up at me. " _WYATT, SAY SOMETHING!"_

"Well, first you get annoyed at me for yelling, but now you're annoyed at me for not saying anything," I growl, "There's just _no_ pleasing you!" Trisha opens her mouth to respond, then gives up and abruptly leaves the room, muttering something about how much she hates me as she goes. I shrug and lean back on the couch, enjoying the short and fleeting moment of calm.

* * *

District 2: Juno Armstrong, Age 18

"Do I _really_ have to wear these?" I complain, stumbling as I struggle to stand in the tall high heels I wear.

"It's essential to your costume, Juno," Macklin responds with a shrug. "Now, try walking with a little more poise."

"That's a little bit difficult to do," I snap back, "When I can barely walk at _all_." My escort sighs and shakes his head as I misplace a step and come toppling to the floor. He grabs me by the arm and pulls me to my feet, this time giving me his support as I step forward shakily.

We continue to practice for a while. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to find my balance. Once, Octavian comes strolling into the hallway. When he sees me stumbling about like a baby giraffe just learning to walk, he smirks. "Having fun?" He remarks, letting out a laugh. I give him a death glare. When he still doesn't shut up, I promptly snatch one of the heels I wear off of my foot and throw it at him. My aim is impeccable, and he receives a small scratch above his right eye, courtesy of Juno Armstrong. Serves him right.

After a painstakingly long time filled with torture, I finally manage to get the hang of walking. After I conquer the high heels, I lean how to sit up straight and a whole bunch of other crap that I really don't care about. About two hours later, I'm finally finished. "Are you ready to get your outfit?" Macklin asks. I nod. Hopefully it isn't something stupid. There's _no way_ I'm going to be wearing a dress at the interviews.

I watch television on the couch while Macklin rushes to find Larry, my stylist. On the TV, two announcers are discussing the games. "You know, I wouldn't count out that 7 boy, Verin," One says, "He seems really strong, and an 8 isn't easy to get, especially for an outlier. I snort and change the channel. _Pfft. I could kill him easily._

It's not long before Larry comes bustling through the door. In his hand is a long, simple gray dress. I wrinkle my nose. "Please don't tell me I have to wear that," I say. Larry sighs.

"Look," He says, "I know you don't like it, but you _have_ to wear it. Besides, I'm sure you'll like the crown that I made to go along with it." It's then that I notice that he's holding something in his other hand. It's made of stone, cracked and covered in moss. Splotches of red have been painted onto it, designed to look like blood. I grin. "Now _that_ I like." I tell him, taking the dress and crown from his hand. I walk to my room, where I strip off my clothes and slip the dress on over my head. After that, I place the crown on my brow. I instantly notice that it's extremely heavy, and my head sinks under the weight. Oh, well. At least it's not covered in glitter.

I come back to where Larry sits, who hands me a pair of black high heels that I put on. As I walk to the elevator, I'm suddenly grateful for the hours of practice I had with the shoes.

"Well, good luck out there. Break a leg." Larry tells me. I only laugh at him.

"Please," I say, "I don't need luck." And with that, the elevator doors open and I step inside.

 **Next chapter is the interviews (part 1). After the interviews, we've got the night before, the countdown, and then… the bloodbath! Eek! I'm super excited.**


	26. Interviews Part One

**The interviews have begun!**

* * *

District 5: Kala Haggart, Age 16

I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves. Honestly, I'm terrified right now. I _hate_ big crowds. I always worry that I'll say something stupid and be completely humiliated. The fact that this interview determines whether or not I'll get sponsors, which could ultimately be the difference between life and death, doesn't help the matter.

"Are you okay?" Nathan asks me. It's only then that I realize I'm shaking.

"I'm fine," I tell him, "Just… a little nervous."

"You'll do great," He assures me. I give him a quiet thank you. He doesn't seem very nervous himself, probably because he's a pretty good public speaker. Lots of people don't seem to worry him like they worry me.

I hear the voice of Caesar Flickerman as he gives a short introduction to the audience, and a hush falls over the other tributes. I find my heart speeding up.

The interviews have begun.

* * *

Iris Lasumi, Age 22

I squealed as the lights began to dim, signaling that the interviews were about to start. I shifted in the plush Capitol seat I sat in and drummed my fingers against my thigh. I couldn't wait for the interviews to begin! It's the first time we really get a feel for the tributes' personalities. Beside me, I see Nickel similarly excited. He begins to whisper something to me, but a Capitolite shushes him, signaling to the stage, where Caesar Flickerman now stands. He waves, and the crowd cheers.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight," He says, "Is everyone ready for the Hunger Games?" More cheers. "Now, I know you're all very anxious to begin, so we won't waste any more time. Let's give a warm welcome to our District 1 female, Ariana Angel!"

I clap with everyone else as Ariana comes walking onto the stage. She wears a long, dark violet gown that's covered with jewels that send of waves of color whenever the light hits them. She gives a short, curt wave to the crowd and sits down beside Flickerman silently, refusing to give him any sort of greeting. It doesn't seem to faze him much, though, and he continues on with just as much enthusiasm as before. "Let's get right to it, Ariana," Caesar says, "Are you excited about the big day tomorrow?" The only response he gets is a shrug. He tries again. "How's your family life back home?" She shrugs again.

"It's certainly… different." She says. Caesar raises his eyebrow, expecting her to continue, but she gives nothing more. He seems to be struggling to get her to give a good response.

"How do you feel about the other tributes?" He asks. This time, Ariana straightens up.

"I'll kill them all," she announces.

"Ohhh, some confidence! I love it!" Caesar exclaims. "Now, one more question before our time runs out. What's your strategy for the games?" Ariana smirks.

"Well, I can't tell you that, can I?" She inquires with a sly smile. "It would spoil everything. Don't worry, though. You'll find out soon enough." As she stands to leave, I can't help but wonder a little more about the girl.

Next to come on is Blaze, Ariana's partner. He sits down stiffly, wearing a dark blue blazer studded with gems. "So, Blaze, are you ready for the Hunger Games?" Caesar asks him.

"Yeah, totally." He says, the remark sounding a little bit forced. Caesar looks taken aback by his lack of enthusiasm. He frowns.

"Are you worried about it? I'm sure you'll do great! After all, a nine in no easy feat."

Blaze swallows and gives a meek, "Thank you."

"So, tell me: what's life like in District 1?"

"It's pretty great." Blaze responds. "I have a girlfriend there. She means the world to me. She's counting on me to come home." There's a chorus of _awws_ from the audience. "Don't pretend like you're sympathetic," He mutters under his breath, "It's not like you really care."

"What's that?" Caesar asks, confused. Blaze shakes his head and smiles.

"Nothing," He responds, "I'm just a bit scared about tomorrow. I hope I can make a kill." With that, his time is up, and he exits the spotlight.

"Next up," Caesar continues, "Put your hands together for Juno Armstrong!" People scream and clap as the 2 girl comes onstage. She sits down across from Caesar and gives him a smile, but it doesn't look like a friendly one.

"So, Juno, are you excited to be here tonight?" Caesar asks. Juno grins and stands.

"HECK, YEAH!" She shouts. "I HOPE YOU'RE ALL AS READY AS I AM!" She's met with a chorus of ecstatic cheering. Caesar laughs.

"Good, good! I love the enthusiasm," He exclaims as Juno sits back down beside him. "How's your life back home? I want all the details!"

Juno shrugs. "It's nice enough. I love my family a lot. I kind of miss them." She stares into the distance for a second, clearly thinking about them, then smiles and regains her composure. "It's alright, though. I'm going to see them in a few weeks anyway when I return home." She smiles cockily. Her buzzer rings, and it's not long before she's replaced with Octavian. Nickel lets out a huge cheer when he sees him, along with much of the other audience. He waves casually and gives the audience a gorgeous smile.

"Good evening, Octavian!" Caesar says.

"Hey. I'm so happy to be here tonight." He responds with a grin that makes the ladies swoon.

"So, have you enjoyed the Capitol so far?" Caesar asks. Octavian nods.

"You bet," He says, "You Capitolites know how to party!" There are a few whoops at this.

"Good to hear it. Now, do you think you'll win the games?"

Octavian smirks. "I _know_ I'll win the games," He corrects. "In fact, I almost feel bad for the other tributes, knowing that none of them stand a chance. There's no competition this year." Caesar pats him on the back.

"I'm sure you'll do great!" He says. "Unfortunately, that's all the time we have left. Next up is from District 3: Jessica Rastik!"

Jessica hops onstage, beaming from ear to ear. She wears a long silver gown with gold sequins scattered at its edges. She waves at the crowd peppily.

"It's so wonderful to have you with us, Jessica!" Caesar greets. "How are you feeling tonight?"

"Fantastic!" She exclaims. "The Capitol is so lovely!"

"I'd certainly agree!" Caesar responds with a laugh. "What's your favorite part so far?"

Jessica frowns for a moment, thinking. Finally, she says, "The food.

"And the fireworks, too." She adds after a moment. "The fireworks are really pretty."

"So, Jessica: do you have any family back home?"

"Call me Jess," She corrects, "And yeah, I do. I've got two parents. And a lot of friends, too."

"A boyfriend?" Caesar asks. Jessica shakes her head and smiles.

"I wish," She says, looking a little wistful. Caesar looks about ready to ask her more about it, but at that moment, the buzzer sounds, and her time is up.

"Put your hands together for Scorpius Herin!"

Scorpius trudges onto the stage, a bored and slightly uncomfortable expression on his face.

"So, Scorpius, can you tell me about yourself?"

He shrugs. "There's not much to tell," He responds honestly. Caesar frowns slightly.

"Oh, come on!" He urges. "Surely you've got something to say. Maybe there's a secret you have, one that's just dying to get out?" Caesar raises his eyebrows as he waits for a response. Scorpius seems to wince at the question.

"If I did have a secret, you would be the _last_ person I share it with," He snaps. Caesar looks a little insulted but doesn't push anything.

"So, do you think you have a chance to win the games?" Scorpius gives a little half smile.

"I hope so, Caesar," he says, "I certainly hope so." The timer ends, and he stands up, looking grateful at the opportunity to leave.

"Next up," Caesar announces, "She scored a ten in her private sessions. She's arguably one of the strongest tributes in these games. You know her, you love her… give it up for Marine!"

Marine struts on, wearing a fluffy blue dress the color of the ocean and indigo high heels. Caesar greets her cheerfully. "So, Marine, how have things been for you?" She shrugs.

"Alright. The Capitol is really nice."

"Good, good! Now, I must know: why did you volunteer? Was it for the money, the fame, revenge, maybe?"

Marine's expression darkens. "I did it to disprove my father." She says. Caesar blinks.

"Disprove him?" He questions. "Why's that?"

"He's always looked down on me." Marine explains. "He always thinks that men are superior to women, or some junk like that. In fact, he didn't even want me to train for the games in the first place. I had to sneak out to the training center at first."

An angry ripple passes through the crowd as her words sink in. "That's ridiculous!" Caesar exclaims. "I'm sure you're just as strong as any of the male contenders- maybe even stronger. After all, that ten is hard to top." Marine grins and nods. "So," Caesar continues, "Do you think you'll be able to win?"

Marine sits up straight and smiles. "Definitely," She boasts, "I've got the skills to be the victor, no matter what my dad says." She leaves the stage with the audience in an uproar. A lot of the women have even begun to chant, "Girls are strong!" I join in the cheer, laughing as I see the confused look on Nickel's face.

"Up next is Nemo Fisher!" Nemo shyly walks beside Caesar, taking a seat beside him. He gives a small wave and smile, sending the crowd into a frenzy of cheers.

"I'm so happy to have you tonight." Caesar complements. Nemo nods.

"Let's get right to it, Nemo. I think the entire crowd noticed that you seemed very hesitant to volunteer. Was there a reason for that?"

Nemo looks unsure how to answer the question. His eye dart around the room nervously. Finally, he says, "Well… the only reason I was planning on volunteering was to escape my abusive father. He's... well, he's hurt me. And with more than just his fists, too. The things he's called me… well, you don't want to know." There's a coo of sympathy from the crowd, a few of them letting out angry shouts.

"Anyway," Nemo continues, "I started to train so that I could go into the Hunger Games and escape him. But on the day of the Reaping… well, I guess the fact that I could die hadn't really sunk in until that day. I decided that I wasn't going to volunteer. But then my brother got reaped. I realized that if I didn't volunteer for him, he would have to go into the games instead, and… well, I really love my brother. I didn't want him to die, so… I volunteered."

The story makes the crowd hush. Then a cheer begins to start, and by the time the buzzer rings everyone in the room is shouting his name.

"Alright, everybody," Caesar says, let's all give a warm welcome to Kala Haggart!"

Kala shuffles onto the stage, giving the crowd a tiny smile. "So, Kala, can you tell us a little about yourself?" Caesar requests.

"Yeah. Well… my name is Kala. Obviously." She gives an awkward chuckle. "And… um… well, I'm sixteen years old. And… uh… I like to write."

"Oh, really! What are some of the things you write about?"

She shrugs. "Well… anything, really."

"Oh, come on," Caesar urges, "Give us some details."

"I guess… I mean, I'm writing a story about a guy who… um…" Kala's voice trails off, and her buzzer rings.

"Alright everyone, next up we have the one and only Wyatt Foster Junior!"

Wyatt looks straight up _pissed_ when he sits down next to Caesar. He wears a bright, pulsing orange shirt and khaki pants.

"So Wyatt, how are you?"

He shrugs. "Fine," He mutters after a minute of silence.

"Do you have a strategy planned for the games?"

"No."

Caesar bites his lip, clearly feeling awkward with the lack of response. "Have you liked the Capitol?"

This seems to be the last straw for Wyatt. He bolts out of his seat, yelling. "Have I been enjoying the Capitol? _SERIOUSLY?!_ Of course I haven't! How could I enjoy your sick city when I know that I'm going to die in a few days? You're terrible people, all of you!" He suddenly launches himself at Caesar, wrapping his hands around his neck, but he's immediately pulled away by two peacekeepers.

The audience is shocked into a stunned silence. A few of the younger kids begin to cry, hugging their parents, who clutch them in fear. Caesar finally breaks the silence with a forced smile.

"Well, that was interesting, wasn't it," He says, trying to lighten the mood. "Well… next up we have Livia Fleet from District 6!"

There's a very weak applause as Livia comes on, most people still too shocked to do anything.

"So, um… Livia," Caesar says weakly, still looking a little shaken from the experience, "do you, um… have any allies?"

"I do," she responds with a bright smile, "I allied with both of the tributes from eight, Marco and Alyxandra, and… uh… Wyatt." She cringes a little as she states her last ally.

"Wow," Caesar says with a chuckle, "That's certainly a very interesting alliance!" Livia grins and nods.

"So, Livia, do you have any strengths that'll help you to win the games?"

"Actually, yeah, I do. I found out at training that I'm pretty good with a bow. And my allies have taught me a lot of useful skills, too."

"Do you think you'll be able to win the games?"

Livia lets out a nervous laugh and shrugs. "I don't know, but I think I've got a shot to go far."

Next up to the stage is Nathan. He waves at the crowd and sits down beside Caesar, beaming.

"Hey, Caesar. How are you doing?" He asks, starting the interview off.

"I'm doing great," Caesar says with a smile, "How are you?"

"I'm a little nervous, I guess, but I'm mostly just excited. It's not often that I have an opportunity like this!" He chuckles.

"What's your family life like?"

"Life couldn't be better back home. I live with my mom, dad, and grandma. We all love each other a lot." He hesitates, then adds, "I'm really grateful for everything the Capitol has done for me."

There's a loud cheer from the audience, and Nathan looks pleased as he leaves the stage, clearly happy with the way his interview turned out. I take a moment to grab some popcorn and pop it into my mouth, eager for the rest of the interviews to commence.

 **Just as a warning, the next part of the interviews will most likely be much shorter simply because they can get somewhat tedious to write.**


	27. Interviews Part Two

**Here's the second part of the interviews.**

* * *

Iris Lasumi, Age 22

"Next up, we have with us Carlina Trask!"

I watch as Carlina bounces in, giving the Capitol a wide smile.

"You seem happy," Caesar notes with a chuckle as she takes a seat beside him.

"I am," She responds. "The Capitol is so lovely!"

"I'm glad you like it!" Caesar says. "Please, tell us a little bit about yourself."

"Well, I have a twin sister," Carlina begins. "And…" Her voice trails off for a moment before she continues, and it's clear that she can barely get the words out. "And my mom is, um… dead."

A murmur of sympathy ripples through the crowd, and she gives a grateful smile.

"That's awful," Caesar coos, "I hope you can win."

Carlina laughs. "I do too."

Verin is the next person to enter, wearing a guarded expression on his face. He gives Caesar a curt nod before sitting down.

"Are you feeling good tonight, Verin?"

"Yeah," He responds, his tone laced injected with sarcasm, "I'm feeling wonderful."

Caesar pretends as though he didn't' hear the sarcasm. "Wonderful! Alright, let's dive right in: why did you volunteer at the Reaping? We're all dying to know, as it seems as though you had no relation to the tribute.

"The Capitol made me," Verin retorts, his voice clipped. "My dad was killed when I was _three_ because he was thought to be leading a rebellion. Instead of killing the rest of my family, it was decided that I would go into the Hunger Games once I turned 18."

"Oh," Is Caesar's only reply for a while. "Well, that seems like a reasonable punishment. After all, you could always win!"

Verin opens his mouth, then shakes his head and closes it again, giving short responses for the rest of the interview.

"Let's give a big, warm welcome to Alyxandra Lernan!"

Alyxandra gives an attempt at a smile as she walks onto the stage, but it's clear she's nervous. A dark blue gown adorns her, and she wears tall blue heels.

"So Alyxandra, what's your life like back home?"

"I have two siblings, a younger brother and a younger sister. We're very close to each other. My mom's really sick right now. My goal is to win so that I can get enough money for her to recover."

The crowd lets out a collective sigh of empathy, and there are a few cheers at Alyxandra's last words.

"That's so sweet! I think many of us will be rooting for you in the arena," Caesar says. Alyxandra smiles.

"Thank you," She murmurs. "I'll try my best to win."

When Marco Shavel enters the stage, he's flanked by two peacekeepers, and his eyes are red, probably from crying.

"So, um… Marco," Caesar says, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, "How are you doing?"

There's no answer from the man beside him.

"Are you scared about the games?" Still no answer. After asking a few more questions to no avail, Caesar goes quiet, and the rest of the interview passes in an awkward silence. There's an obvious breath of relief when his buzzer finally rings.

"We now invite Rois McCormack to the stage!" Caesar begins questioning her as soon as she sits down. "So, Rois, got any allies?"  
"I do, actually," She says, "The girl from District 12. I think we'll make a pretty good team. We're going to be a force to be reckoned with in the arena."

"I'm sure you will be. What's your strategy for the bloodbath?"  
Rois shrugs and gives a short, humorless laugh. "I'm just going to rush into the fray and try not to die." There's a chuckle from the crowd. "I suppose I'll try to get my hands on a weapon. After all, it's hard to win without one."

It's hard not to notice the girly shape that Albin has when he enters the stage. He waves at the crowd and shows off a warm smile, a shimmering crowd resting atop his dark curls.

"So, Albin, do you have anything interesting about yourself?"

"Well, I'm, uh…" He pauses awkwardly, "A transgender."

 _Oh. That explains it._

There's a mixed reaction from the crowd, some cheering estatically while others give large _boos_ of anger. Most just stay silent, surprised by the revelation.

"Wow," Caesar says. "When did you… you know… become a boy?"

Albin shrugs. "It was a while back," he says, waving his hand nonchalantly. "I've been happier ever since I made the choice, though."

"Have your friends given you a hard time about it?" Caesar questions.

"Some of the kids at school tease me about it, but the majority of people are pretty cool with it. My family was really supportive of the decision. They always support me with everything I do. I hope I can make it home to them."

Maylee comes onto the stage looking angry in her violet dress. She glares at the crowd as she lowers herself into the plush armchair next to Caesar. He smiles at her, but she doesn't return it.

"So, has the Capitol been good to you so far?"

"Yeah, they've been so kind to me," She says sarcastically. "I'm so thankful to be heading to my inevitable death in order to entertain them." Caesar gulps and gives a quick shrug.

"So… how's your family life back home? Any love interests?" He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, earning a laugh from the audience.

"Yes, I do." Maylee suddenly stands. "I love Jon Winsi."

The entire crowd goes so silent that I swear you could hear a pin drop. After a moment of complete and utter quiet, Caesar whispers, "You mean… the other District 10 tribute?"

"Yes!" Maylee exclaims. "We have been best friends since we were little. Someday, we could've gotten married, but thanks to _you_ , we'll never get that chance! We'll never get to have a happy ending because of you sick Capitolites!" She continues to rant even after the buzzer for her interview rings, and she's forced to be dragged off by Peacekeepers.

Jon looks shocked and scared as he enters the light. "Are you alright? You look pale," Caesar notes as he sits.

"I'm fine," He murmurs, "I just… didn't expect Maylee to act like that."

"Neither did the rest of the Capitol," Caesar says, gaining a chuckle. "Is it true that you and Maylee are best friends?"

"Yeah," Jon replies, "We're really close. I… sort of have a crush on her." His eyes flit up to the crowd then back down to his hands, which seem to be shaking.

"Well, maybe we could make a alteration to make it possible to have both of you win," Caesar suggests. Jon laughs but shakes his head.

"I wish that could happen," He says, "But I'm not going to get my hopes up."

"Put your hands together for Angelica Broome," Caesar crys, clapping as Angelica enters and gives the crowd a sweet smile.

"Do you have any siblings, Angelica?"

"Yeah. I have a little brother named Jaime. He's everything to me. If I don't come home, he'll be devastated."  
"I hope you can win, then," Caesar sympathizes, "Though your odds can't be good, being so young."

"I might be young, but I'm tough," Angelica promises. "Trust me when I say I shouldn't be counted out of these games."

"I'm sure you'll do well," Caesar promises. "Next up, we have Angelica's district partner, Cole!"

"Now, Cole, do you have a strategy for the games?"

"Not really," He replies honestly, "I'm just going to try and stay alive for as long as possible and hope for a miracle."

"It must be pretty great to have a parent as a victor," Caesar notes. Cole shrugs.

"I guess so," He responds. "My mom has some pretty good advice."

"Do you have any allies?" Caesar asks.

"I do! I'm allied with Angelica and Beckett," Cole explains, "I think we're going to be a pretty powerful force."

Caesar nods, then says, "Any last words for our audience?"

Cole turns to face the camera. "Mom, dad… wherever you might be right now, I want you to know that I love you. Don't worry about me in the arena. I'll come back to you, I promise."

Erin comes on with a scowl on her face, her curly black hair ridden with tiny pink bows.

"Erin, please tell us all about your life back home."

"It's terrible," Erin responds with a snort, "The kids there are all jerks and my family struggles to eat every day. Not that any of you care." There's a pause as Caesar chews his lip awkwardly.

"What do you think is your biggest strength?" He finally asks. Erin shrugs.

"Probably my resourcefulness," She decides after a moment of thought. "I may not be the strongest tribute of the bunch, but I'm clever. I think I can win these games as long as I don't lose my head."

Beckett Roy gets a huge cheer, as him volunteering for his brother has made him one of the most popular tributes in the games. I make sure to give a loud holler for him. He doesn't seem to thrilled by the extra attention, though.

"Beckett, it's so lovely to meet you at last," Caesar shouts enthusiastically. "We're all very excited to finally get to know you. Now, let's get right down to business: would you say you have a good relationship with your brother? After all, it takes a lot of gut to volunteer."

Beckett just shrugs. "I guess so, yeah. I don't think I'm that special, though. Volunteering is what every good sibling would have done."  
"It's still very noble to have done a thing like that, though," Caesar tells him. "I heard your in an alliance with the pair from District 11. Is this true?"

Beckett nods. "They seem pretty trustworthy. It sucks that only one of us will be able to win the Hunger Games." His voice lowers a little. "I only hope that I can make it home alive."

His buzzer rings, marking the end of the interviews. It suddenly hits me that the games are tomorrow.

I can't wait.

 **Two more chapters until the bloodbath!**


	28. The Night Before

**I've got a double update! Hooray!**

* * *

District 12: Beckett Roy, Age 17

I touch my spaghetti with my fork, rolling and unrolling it around the prongs, before pushing my plate away and standing up from the table.

"What's wrong?" Cocelia asks.

"I'm not hungry," I murmur, plopping down on the couch in the living room.  
"You really need to eat something before the games," Cocelia advises. "Like Erin." She nods in Erin's direction, who's wolfing down a plate of meatballs. I just shrug and shake my head.

Cocelia sighs before setting down her spoon and moving across the room to sit beside me. "Are you nervous?" She asks me.

I consider lying, telling her that I'm not nervous at all, but I know she'll see right through me. "Yeah," I respond. "I'm terrified, actually."

"You'll do great in the arena, trust me," Cocelia promises, giving me a smile. I smile back, grateful for her support.

We sit in silence until I grab the remote to the TV and turn it on, mindlessly flicking through the channels. All of them are discussing the upcoming Hunger Games, not that it's a surprise. I finally stop at some talk show and watch the hosts bet on who they think will win, though I'm not really listening to their conversation. All I can think about is how I might be dead in less than twenty four hours.

Erin walks over to the living room, leaving her empty plate on the table. She sits down on the plush sofa. "What are you watching?" She asks me, staring at the screen.

"I'm not really sure," I admit. Erin frowns.  
"The hosts are talking about you," She notes. I instantly perk up, curious as to what their opinion on me is.

"I don't know about you, Bernie, but I'm honestly rooting for Beckett Roy," One announcer says. "I mean, come on. Wasn't it so sweet how he volunteered for his little brother? He's such a great guy!"

I see a scowl grow on Erin's face, and she grabs the remote, turning the TV off. "You've certainly found favor with the Capitol," She mutters.

"I'm sure plenty of people are rooting for you too," I tell her. She lets out an empty laugh.

"Doubt it. Nobody ever likes me," She says. I open my mouth to give her some reassurance, but I find myself unable to speak any words that could comfort her. The room falls quiet once again.

* * *

District 3: Jessica Rastik, Age 17

I pace up and down the hall, enjoying the echoes my footsteps make in the silence. Thoughts of the coming day flit through my mind, making my legs tremble with fear. I try to steady my breathing, but it's no use. Tears burn the back of my eyes as the realization that the bloodbath is in just a few hours sinks in. Will I still be alive by the end of tomorrow?

There's the creak of a door a few feet away from me, and my gaze falls on Scorpius. His dark hair is matted and his eyes are tired and weary. When he sees me, he hesitates, then joins me in my walking.

"Are you scared?" I ask him.

"Of course," He replies. "Why wouldn't I be? I could be dead within the span of a day."  
"Good point," I murmur. I feel my heart speeding up as I notice how close we are. I can feel the silence of the room slowly beginning to suffocate me, so I blurt out, "Do you want to explore a little with me?"

Scorpius doesn't respond, which I assume to be a _yes_. I stroll towards the elevator, and after a pausing moment, Scorpius follows.

When the doors close around us, I stare at the rows of buttons on the wall. "How about we try the top floor?" I suggest, pressing the button, which turns red. I hear the elevator begin to move, and an old songs starts to play.

After a moment, the doors slide open, and I let out a quiet gasp. Surrounding us is a huge garden, rows of brightly colored flowers lining the ground. I look up and see millions of tiny, bright stars, which twinkle above the Capitol with a magnifect light.

"It's beautiful," I murmur. Scorpius nods and begins to walk among a gravel pathway. I take off after him, gazing in awe at the different plants.

Eventually, we come to the edge of the garden. A railing stands at the end. I peer over it and see dozens of brightly dressed Capitolites, looking almost microscopic at the distance we're at. They dance and laugh, the sound of music drifting up to where we stand.

"It's sick, you know," Scorpius mutters, glaring down at the street, "The way these Capitolites are celebrating the Hunger Games. Twenty three innocent children are going to die in the next two weeks for their _entertainment_. Twenty three people, just… gone in the blink of an eye. It's terrible."

"If only we could do something about it," I whisper back. Scorpius sighs and looks away.

"Someday the districts will rebel," He murmurs, "Someday."

His words hang in the air. I can feel the tension between us building, and I feel the need to say something. "I really like you," I blurt out.

Scorpius lets out a small groan. When he doesn't respond, I turn to give him a look. "So?" I question. "Do you like me back or not?"

"I'm gay."

I stare at him in shock. "You're… what?"

"Gay," Scorpius repeats. I blink rapidly to try and rid myself of the tears burning in my eyes, but it's too much for me to handle, and I suddenly feel trickles of water sting my cheeks.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" I ask. I can feel my heart twisting in my chest, tangling up into knots and strangling me until I feel as though I can't breath.

"I stood up for you against Juno Armstrong. JUNO ARMSTRONG, Scorpius. She's probably going to kill me in the arena, now, just because I saved you, and you don't even have the heart to respect me?"

"I didn't ask you to defend me, Jessica," Scorpius reminds me, but I'm not listening to him.

"I have had a crush on you forever!" I scream. " _Forever!_ Do you know how many times I- how many times almost _every_ girl in our grade- has seen you walking down the hall and thought to themselves, _I wish he was my boyfriend_? A whole lot! And you don't even care! You're twisted, Scorpius! _TWISTED!_ "

I know that my anger has no logic to it. It's not his fault. It's mine for falling in love with him in the first place. But I'm past reason at this point. I storm away, my hands clenched at my sides.

I wasted half of my life crushing on Scorpius, and he's _gay_.

I hate him. But I hate myself even more, for making the mistake of liking him.

I should have known better

* * *

District 10: Jon Winsi, Age 15

I roll over in bed, glancing at the clock on my nightstand. _2:03_. A shiver runs down my spine. I haven't gotten an ounce of sleep thus far, and I know I should try and get at least a few hours of rest, but I'm too terrified to close my eyes. Abruptly, I stand up and make my way to the door. I need to talk to Maylee.

When I enter her room, I see her looking just as scared as I am. Her head pops up as I push open the door, her eyes wild and tired.

"What are you doing here?" She asks me, sitting up.

"I... need to talk to you," I tell her. She gestures for me to go on. "Well, I can't stop thinking about the last couple of nights, and I was just wondering… when you said you loved me during training, and that whole mess at the interviews… do you really… you know, like me? Or are you just putting on a show for the Capitol in order to get sponsors?"

Maylee looks a little surprised and maybe even offended. "Of course I like you! I've liked you for… a while now, actually."  
I feel my shoulders relax at the confirmation. "I like you, too," I tell her after a moment. She smiles.

"So… was that all?" She asks me.

"Well, no," I respond, "There was something else I wanted to do."

I sit on the edge of her bed, trying to work up the nerve to do what I've been dreaming of doing for years now. Maylee cocks her head. "Yeah? What is it?" She aks.

I take a deep breath, lean down, and kiss her.

I feel my heartbeat pound in my chest, but Maylee doesn't pull away. I loop my hand around her waist and pull her closer to me, my breath quickening with every second.

It crosses my mind that this is the first time that I've kissed her.

I shudder when I realize that it also might be my last.

 **ONE MORE CHAPTER UNTIL THE BLOODBATH. HOLY CRAAAAAAP.**


	29. Countdown

**OH. MY. GOD. We're to the COUNTDOWN, people! Next chapter is the BLOODBATH! HOLY COW. Just as a warning, this chapter will feature a death. :)**

* * *

District 7: Carlina Trask, Age 15

 _My breathing is quick and unsteady as I push my way through tangled vines, my footsteps pounding against the ground. I hear the crack of a gun as it fires into the night, and it turns my blood to ice. I spare a glance behind me, but it's too dark to see anything._

 _Suddenly, I feel myself falling forward. To my horror, I realize that I've tripped over a root. I look over my shoulder, and this time, I can make out the dim silhouettes of people, advancing towards me with incredible speed._

 _A scream catches in my throat when someone grabs my arm, pulling me to my feet. I turn to the person, examining their face. She's got my same dirty blond hair and pale skin, my same blue-green eyes…_

 _I realize with surprising certainty that it's my mother._

 _My mom runs through the forest, dragging me along with her, until we reach a small cottage. Once there, my mom opens the door and slams it behind us, bolting it shut. It's not long before we hear the grunts and shouts of peacekeepers as they pound on the door. I silently pray that they're not strong enough to break through._

 _The sounds of the peacekeepers begin to quiet, and I think that we've evaded their grasp. However, I start to hear a faint creaking noise in the walls. Dust rains down on top of my head, and when I look up, my eyes fill with terror when I see the entire roof collapse on us, suffocating us under layers and layers of wood and dirt…  
_ I let out a shout and open my eyes. _It was a dream._ I breath a sigh of relief, but it ends quickly when I realize where I am.

The Hunger Games are today.

I find myself beginning to hiccup uncontrollably, and I glance at the clock beside me. _5:03._ The games will begin in less than two hours. I can feel my chest twist painfully inside me. _In less than two hours, I'll probably be lying dead on the floor._ The thought makes me want to puke.

It's cruel, the way the Capitol can kill twenty three different people every year without a second thought. I hate them for it, how they laugh and joke when some of us are heading to our inevitable deaths.

But then again, it's the Capitol. What do you expect?

* * *

District 11: Cole Cambridge, Age 13

My eyes shoot open as my mom tiptoes into my room, the door shutting gently behind her. "Are you awake?" She murmurs to me, sitting on the edge of my bed. I nod wearily. She hands me an apple, saying, "Here. Have something in your stomach before the games begin." I take the apple and nibble on it. I'm not hungry, but I know my mom's right, so I do as she asks.

Thoughts of the Hunger Games drift through my brain, and before I can stop myself, I find myself weeping hot, bitter tears. My mom wraps me in a hug.

"I know, I know," She whispers in my ear, stroking me lovingly, "I know it's terrifying. But you have to stay strong. You've got to come home, for me and for your dad." I nod slowly before bursting into a new set of tears.

"Why do they do this to us?" I whisper, my voice thick. "Why do they find our pain amusing?"

"I don't know," My mom admits, "But don't think about that right now. You can't change them. They've been doing this for decades. Right now, you need to focus on surviving." I take a deep breath. She's correct, of course. The Capitol can do whatever they want, and nothing we say or do can stop them.

I slowly stand up, but my mom pulls me back onto my bed. "Another thing, Cole," She says, "I know you have a crush on Angelica."

"No, I don't!" I shout indignantly, even though we both know it's a lie. My mom cracks a smile.

"Of course you do. It's pretty clear by how awkward you act around her." She clears her throat. "But listen. I don't want you to get too attached to her, okay? Love never ends well in the arena. Only one tribute can come out of it alive, after all. Try to keep your distance from her."

"But-" I start, but my mom shakes her head firmly. I sigh. She has a good point, I suppose. "Fine," I agree. Her shoulders relax and she pulls me into a tight hug.

"Please come home to me," She murmurs, "Please come home."

* * *

District 9: Albin Ainsley, Age 15

"Are you ready?" My stylist, Doridon, asks me, his voice filled with excitement.

"No," I respond with a snort. Doridon rolls his eyes.

"Don't worry," He tells me, you'll do great, trust me!" His words do little to encourage me.

After a little preparation, I'm taken up to the top floor of the Training Center. A hovercraft zips into the morning air out of seemingly nowhere, a ladder dropping down towards me. I grab onto it and instantly feel myself freeze. I'm raised into the body of the hovercraft. A plump Capitol woman waits for me there, holding a syringe.

"I'm Heliortha," The woman tells me. "I need to inject this tracker into you. It'll hurt, but it will be over with quickly, I promise."

A sharp pain blossoms through my arm as the syringe carrying the tracker makes contact with it. Once it's been injected, the ladder releases me, and the hovercraft takes off.

I rock back and forth nervously in my seat, staring out the window as the city turns to lush forests. An avox comes in carrying a plate filled with food, but my stomach can only handle a few bites. I'm too nervous to do much of anything right now. My head is throbbing, and my legs feel like jelly.

"You know, you aren't going to get much food in the arena," Doridon remarks. "It's called the _Hunger_ Games, after all." He cracks up at this like it's the funniest thing in the world, but I'm not in the mood to laugh with him.

After about a half an hour, the windows black out, probably to hide any sort of view we can get of the arena. It suddenly strikes me that the arena must be close. I feel myself hyperventilating, and I force myself to calm down.

 _You can do this, Albin. You can survive._ The thoughts don't comfort me, though. In fact, they only make me even more scared of the events to come.

* * *

District 2: Octavian Grimes, Age 18

A grin spreads across my face as the hovercraft slows to a stop and the ladder drops down once again, leading underground into the launch room. These games are what I've been preparing for my entire life. This is what I was born to do.

My entire body goes still as I grab onto the ladder, and I feel myself going down, down, down. My stylist, Perry, and I walk the chambers until we reach my launch room. I can feel adrenaline coursing through my veins, my heart pumping steadily against my chest. I can feel my excitement threatening to overwhelm me, so I make myself stay cool. I don't want to do something stupid in the arena, after all, something that'll get me killed before the fun begins.

"I'm proud of you, Octavian," Perry informs me with a smile. "You're going to kill it out there in the arena, I'm sure of it." He gives me a fist bump and then hands me the outfit I'm supposed to wear. I slip on the cargo shorts and thin t-shirt, pulling the green lightweight jacket on top of it. I then slip on my shoes, which are firm black sneakers that seem designed to do well in harsh conditions. The clothes seem to suggest that I'll be going to someplace warm.

While we wait for the tube that will take me to the arena, Perry hands me a pear to eat. I scarf it down immediately, then go through an entire bottle of water.

I finger the lock of Jessica's hair, a trickle of nervousness running down my spine. What if I die? What if I let down District 2 and get killed by some scrappy outer district tribute in the bloodbath?

 _Negative thinking will get you nowhere,_ I remind myself. Just then, an announcement comes on to enter my tube, which has slid open. Perry smiles and pats me on the back.

"You've got this," He tells me. "Just stay calm. You're the strongest tribute in these games. Remember that, okay? You can do this." I thank him, then enter my tube. It stays still for a second, then begins to rise, going up into the arena. For a moment, all is dark. Then the metal platform I stand on shoves me into the light. A voice fills the warm, moist air as I struggle to make out my surroundings.

"Let the 48th Hunger Games begin!"

* * *

District 8: Marco Shavel, Age 44

I had made my decision before I had entered the hovercraft that would take me to the arena. I can't play these cruel games. I can't give the Capitol what they want. I won't win, anyway- they'll make sure of that. I'd rather go out with some dignity.

As soon as the countdown begins, I leap off of my pedestal without hesitation. There's nothing left for me in this world. Everyone I love is dead. And soon, I will be too.

A smile plays across my lips as I hit the ground and darkness surrounds me. Soon, I'll be with Veronica and Tom.

Soon, I'll finally find my peace.

* * *

District 4: Nemo Fisher, Age 18

A scream dies on my lips when I hear the explosion.

I spin to the right, almost falling off my pedestal, to see an empty plate where a tribute should be right beside me. Blood and gore splatters the ground, and bile builds up in my throat. I glance around the area to try and discover who perished, but my mind is racing too fast for me to figure it out.

I realize that while I was distracted, fifteen seconds have already passed on the countdown. I curse myself for being so stupid and quickly take in my surroundings. The Cornucopia is in a small, lush clearing. Surrounding us on all four sides is a huge jungle. Tall trees tower over us, making me feel tiny.

I glance beside me and see that Verin is on my left. To the right, past the empty plate, stands Cole.

Terror quickly begins to rise in my chest. I could be dead in less than a minute. My body could soon be one of the many littering the ground of the Cornucopia, a knife sticking out of my back or a spear stuck in the center of my chest.

 _Relax, Nemo. That won't happen. You're trained, remember? You can_ do _this._ My thoughts do nothing to ease the fear, though.

I take a quick glance at the clock. _30\. 29. 28._ I take a survey of the Cornucopia, looking for a trident amidst the bounty. I don't see one. I'm not surprised- they're usually vacant at the Cornucopia- but it still horrifies me that my favorite weapon is missing. I take another look at the weapons and spot a gleaming sword about twenty feet away from me. I figure it'll do, and I turn my feet towards it.

I take another look at the clock. _18\. 17. 16._ I peer at the other tributes to see how their reacting. Most look terrified. A few are excited. Some stand completely still, no signs of emotions on their faces.

 _10\. 9. 8._

I begin to mentally prepare myself for the screams that are bound to begin soon.

 _7\. 6. 5._

I take a deep breath to calm my nerves.

 _4\. 3. 2. 1._

 _0._

The gong rings, and the games begin.

 **24th Place: Marco Shavel- Jumped off of pedestal before the time was up**

 **I honestly don't really know what to say about Marco. He only even exists because I randomly decided to throw together a (kind of stupid) plot twist with Tom. Still, though, Marco had a tough life from beginning to end. I never designed him to make it past the bloodbath, so he was pretty much doomed from the beginning. At least you're at peace, now.**

 **THE NEXT CHAPTER IS THE BLOODBATH OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG. I'm literally gonna have a seizure.**

 **Okay, so I want to remind everyone to PLEASE review if you want your tribute to live. I pretty much have all the bloodbath deaths planned out, but reviewing can definitely change that. If you've reviewed this story, even if it's only a couple of times, I gave your tributes a lot more mercy in my death plan.**

 **Also, you might remember that back in the first chapter, I promised that the first five tributes submitted to me would get a free pass through the first day! This advantage goes to Scorpius, Livia, Angelica, Beckett, and Rois. :D**

 **I've completely forgot about the shoutouts I was going to do every chapter. Today's shoutout goes to all the people who have favorited or followed me or my story. Thanks so much!**


	30. The Bloodbath: Day 1

**I'm so happy right now. SO. FLIPPING. HAPPY. IT'S THE BLOODBATH! Shoutout to everybody who submitted tributes to this story. I wish I didn't have to kill off twenty three of them. D:**

 **Now guys, I've got a request for you. Please, please, PLEASE don't scroll down to the bottom to see who dies. I know it's tempting, but it's way more fun to actually read it. Thanks!**

 **Please keep in mind that the order of deaths in the POVs might not necessarily be the actual order. The eulogies will confirm the placement your tribute got. Also, there are probably going to be a lot of POV switches here.**

 **Alright, here we go! This is a lot shorter than I originally thought it would be, but it's still got plenty of death in it. :)**

* * *

District 2: Juno Armstrong, Age 18

I spot her about a minute or so into the bloodbath. After a moment of scanning the clearing, I catch sight of her light blond hair as she grabs a backpack. She takes a quick look behind her, and her eyes grow wide with horror when she spots me grinning maliciously at her, a huge sword in my hand. After a slight hesitation, she takes off into the jungle, and I run after her immediately.

Jessica is quick, but I'm quicker, and it's not long before I've caught up to her. I swing my sword wildly at her torso, but she dances out of the way and continues to run. I chase behind her until I'm close enough to tackle her. She screams as I raise my sword to finish her off and lashes out with her hand, hitting me hard in the face. I roar as the taste of blood fills my mouth, and before she can evade me again, I plunge my sword into her chest. Jessica gasps, then goes limp.

I grunt and stand, tearing the sword out of her body and turning back to the Cornucopia. A smile lights up on my face, and I sprint back to the bloodbath, ready to kill again.

* * *

District 4: Marine Gray, Age 16

I leap off the pedestal as soon as the gong sounds. My eyes flit across the scene like a hawk searching for its prey. I notice the boy beside me- I think he's from District 6- run across the grass, aiming for a backpack near the center of the Cornucopia. After grabbing a small knife, I rush to him, barreling him over and shoving my knife into his heart. He stares up at me, his eyes wide and fearful, as I repeatedly stab him. Once I'm confident he's dead, I get to my feet and search for a new victim.

* * *

District 5: Kala Haggart, Age 16

 _No. No, no, no, no…_

I feel hot, sticky tears forming in the corner of my eyes as I watch Marine murder Nathan, my feet frozen in place. My mind is screaming or me to run, but I can't tear my eyes away from the gruesome sight. After a moment, Marine finally finishes and gets up. We lock eyes and pure horror pulses through my veins. I finally force myself to abandon the pak I was going for and run.

While I sprint, I glance behind me, and suddenly, I'm on the ground. I cry in pain as I realize Marine's knife has pierced my ankle. I panic when I realize that I can no longer walk and make a desperate attempt to crawl away, but it's no use. Marine closes in quickly, grabbing the knife out of my ankle and pushing it through my forehead. Red fills my vision, and then all is black.

* * *

District 11: Angelica Broome, Age 13

The fear in my body is tamed slightly when I see Cole near me, separated only by the girl from District 3. I spot Beckett on the other side of the clearing and resolve to meet up with him as soon as I join Cole.

When the time, runs out, Cole and I run straight for each other. I feel myself become paralyzed as I see Juno rushing towards us, but she goes right past us without a second thought, aiming instead for the 3 girl.

"We should probably go and get something," Cole tells me. I nod, and we both run towards the center, searching for something worthwhile. Just as I set my course towards a thick looking backpack, I'm taken to the ground. The boy from District 3 stands above me, aiming a knife at my heart. I yelp, but before I can do anything, my attacker is shoved away. I realize that Beckett has come to my aid. He takes a step towards the boy, who flees without a second thought. Beckett doesn't bother pursuing him, instead helping me to my feet. We back away to the edge of the clearing, and after a moment, Cole runs to us, panting heavily and with a pack of supplies slung over his shoulder.

"Are you ready?" Beckett asks.

"Yeah. Let's get out of here," I respond, and together, we leave the agonized shouts of dying children behind us.

* * *

District 1: Ariana Angel, Age 15

I catch a glimpse of it as I sprint towards the Cornucopia. The shimmering form of a golden bow, along with a full quiver of arrows. I stop dead in my tracks before rushing to the weapons, keeping a sharp lookout for anyone who might try and attack me.

I reach the bow at about the same time as the girl from District 12. We both grapple with it for a moment before I get the upper hand and wrench it out of her grasp. I reach for an arrow, but by the time I load it into the bow, I've already lost sight of her.

I turn in a circle, searching for someone else to kill. After a moment, I see the perfect target: the girl from District 7 is running towards a belt of throwing knives, her back turned to me. I hesitate for a moment. Can I really do it? Can I really kill an innocent human being?

 _You're in the Hunger Games, remember? She has to die at some point for you to come home._ I let the arrow fly, and it strikes her in the back. She lets out an agonized shout before falling to the ground. I let out a shaky breath.

What did I just do?

* * *

District 9: Rois McCormack, Age 15

I glance around the clearing, searching desperately for Erin, but find no trace of her. She must be on the other side of the Cornucopia. As soon as the gong goes off, I'm off my pedestal, sprinting towards a large pack as fast as my legs can carry me. I can no longer hear the screams of the tributes around me. All of my attention is focused on getting the heck out of here as quickly as I can.

I pause once I have the pack firmly strapped around my shoulders, torn. Should I leave now? Or should I try and find Erin? I make a split second decision and head towards the middle of the fray. I finally spot her staggering away from the District 1 girl, who's notched her bow and is looking for someone to shoot, finally releasing the arrow on the District 7 girl. I sprint to Erin's side, and she spins around before sighing in relief when she sees me. "Come on," I tell her, and she follows me without hesitation. My shoulders relax as we tear through the jungle. _We're safe._

For now, at least.

* * *

District 10: Maylee Templeton, Age 15

I chew my bottom lip as the gong rings. Tracie, my mentor, warned me to get out of the bloodbath immediately, but the supplies are so tempting...

I figure that it won't hurt if I just grab one or two things from the fringes. No one will notice me. I'll be out of there as quickly as I came in.

I dash towards the supplies closest to me, praying that no one will see me.

* * *

District 7: Verin Fleras, Age 18

I toss the heavy axe I picked up from hand to hand, my eyes set on the girl from 10. She's small and a pretty easy looking kill, but I don't know if I have it in me to end her life.

 _Mom and Vera are counting on you to come home._

I blow through my mouth and resolve that if I don't kill her, someone else will. I bound towards the girl, and as she spins around to face me, I slice straight through her chest. She lets out a scream and falls backwards, landing with a thud in the dirt.

I'm about to flee when I see the boy from District 10.

* * *

District 10: Jon Winsi, Age 15

I feel like I'm choking. I let out a horrified scream as Maylee falls to the ground, then scream again, this one filled with a burning rage. He _killed_ her. That awful boy from District 7 just _killed_ my best friend.

Adrenaline pumps through my blood, and I scoop up a small knife near me before charging towards the boy. His eyes catch mine, and I see a jolt of panic go through them. I swing my knife towards him, giving his arm a deep gash, but he lashes back with a thin blow to my stomach, disorienting me and giving him time to run.

A sob escapes my lips and I chuck my knife at him, but it's no use, and he soon disappears into the trees. I fall to my knees beside Maylee, holding her hand, which has since grown cold and limp. She's dead. She's dead. She's really dead…

I barely feel the bite of the sword as it pokes out of my stomach. "Enjoying yourself, 10?" Comes the snake-like voice of the boy from District 2 in my ear as he rips the blade out of my back. I fall forward, and soon, I join Maylee in death. I don't mind, though. At least I won't have to live without her the rest of my life.

* * *

District 1: Blaze Hale, Age 17

I run to the spear as quickly as I can, forcing all of my energy into my sprint. I grab it, rocking it back and forth to test its weight.

I hear the sound of footsteps behind me, and instinctively, I twirl the spear behind me, hitting the tribute with the butt of my weapon. I turn to see the boy from 9 lying shocked on the ground. His eyes are filled with fear as I bite my lip, my spear raised above my head. _Kill him, Blaze. You have to kill him._ My shoulders tense, and then I lower my weapon.

"Go," I order the boy, glancing around to make sure none of the Careers are watching. "Run!"

He stares at me in disbelief for a moment before turning towards the jungle. I watch as he fades away, then turn back to the Cornucopia.

The Capitol may be able to force us into these games. But they can't force us to kill.

* * *

District 5: Wyatt Foster Junior, Age 17

The voices inside my head are going haywire as the clock ticks down to zero. Some or telling me to run, others telling me to find a weapon. I hold my hands to my head, trying to block them out, but it's no use. I can't escape them.

 _You need to kill your allies,_ one voice hisses. _That way, they won't get a chance to betray you._ I realize that it makes a point. If I stay in my alliance, there's always a chance that they could kill me when I'm not expecting it. It'll be better to eliminate that possibility early.

My eyes turn on Alyxandra, who has only the 12 boy separating us, and I make my decision.

She'll never see it coming.

* * *

District 8: Alyxandra Lernan, Age 16

I blink tears out of my eyes as the timer blinks to nothing and a loud ring buzzes across the clearing. I watched as Marco Shavel jumped to his death, watched as my ally was blown sky high. It gives me a sick feeling in my stomach.

I tell myself that I have to move, and I shakily move towards a pack of dried fruit that lies only a few steps. I reach down to pick it up, but am suddenly blown off my feet.

I stare into the face of the person above me and realize with shock that it's Wyatt. His eyes have a wild glint to them as he raises the knife in his hand, the shiny surface glinting evilly in the sun. I scream and squeeze my eyes shut so that I don't have to watch him kill me.

I don't even feel the pain of the knife.

But wait.

I can still hear the screaming.

I wouldn't be able to hear anything if I was dead, would I?

I open my eyes to see Wyatt lying limp beside me, a bloody hatchet sticking out of his back. Above him stands Livia. She wrenches the hatchet out of my former ally's skin before pulling me to my feet, shouting, "Come on!" My feet follow her before my brain has time to catch up, and together we head into the jungle, where more dangers are bound to await us.

 **And that's it! Did you like it? Did any of the deaths surprise you?**

 **Sponsoring won't start until day 2. I have yet to make the sponsoring list, but it'll come out soon enough.**

 **23rd Place: Nathan Hayas: Stabbed in the heart with a knife by Marine Gray, District 4 female**

 **Aww, man. This death was HARD to write. Nathan was so sweet and innocent… aghh. I did consider letting him live a little bit longer, but he was never going to win, and I feel as though he was submitted as a bloodbath tribute, so he ended up here. :(**

 **22nd Place: Carlina Trask- Shot in the back with an arrow by Ariana Angel, District 1 female**

 **Poor Carlina. She was a neat character with plenty of little quirks, but I feel as though in the end, she was one of the more normal tributes, which oddly enough made me like her even more. I've found that SYOTs don't usually get a lot of the more average tributes. Anyways, I mostly killed off Carlina because I didn't want the bloodbath to be too small and I had no one else to kill of. She could have made it far, but honestly, I didn't really have any big plans with her, so I guess this is where her story ends. I feel terrible for her family, though, who've already lost one family member. Sorry, Finnick Forever.**

 **21st Place: Kala Haggart- Stabbed in the forehead with a knife by Marine Gray, District 4 female**

 **Kala was one of the tributes I created. Originally, she didn't make much of an impression on me, but she grew on me as the story went on, and it made me sad when I had to kill her. She was sweet and kind, but ultimately, she just didn't have the strength to win the games.**

 **20th Place: Jessica Rastik- Stabbed in the chest with a sword by Juno Armstrong, District 2 female**

 **I feel like I wasn't very good at writing Jessica. She was supposed to be smart and determined, but she ended up just seeming like a bubbly, emotional seventeen year old to me. I didn't have any major plans for her, so I ended up just killing her in the bloodbath. I wish I had written her a little better. :/**

 **19th Place: Maylee Templeton- Chest sliced open with an axe by Verin Fleras, District 7 male**

 **Out of the three tributes I made, Maylee was probably the one I was the least attached to. It's not that I didn't like her, she just never seemed to have a super strong personality besides her impulsiveness. I'll still miss her, though.**

 **18th Place: Jon Winsi- Stabbed in the back with a sword by Octavian Grimes, District 2 male**

 **Jon was definitely my favorite tribute that I made myself. I loved all of the emotions he had, and his relationship with Maylee was super sweet. Unfortunately, like with my other two tributes, he was designed to die in the bloodbath. RIP.**

 **17th Place: Wyatt Foster Junior- Stabbed in the back with a knife by Livia Fleet, District 6 female**

 **Wyatt was a really neat and unique character. I think the main reason I killed him off here was because he was just too difficult to write for. I hadn't even heard of Schizophrenia until I received his character, so I never knew if I was writing him correctly or not. Still, he provided some entertainment, and I enjoyed him a lot. Rest in peace.**

 **I still can't believe we're into the games! Each day will be broken into two parts, day and night. The next chapter will be night 1. See you there!**


	31. Sixteen Tributes Left: Night 1

**Ugh. This took quite a long time. Sorry, but there's not a ton of action in it and I just wasn't feeling motivated. :/ Hopefully the next chapter will take less time.**

 **Also, another announcement: This story has been up for more than a year now! Crazy, right? A big thanks to all of you for being patient with my inconsistent update schedule.**

* * *

District 11: Cole Cambridge, Age 13

"Can we _please_ take a break?"

Beckett turns to give me an annoyed look. "We can't stop now," He tells me. "We need to get as far away from the other tributes as possible."

"But I'm _so tired_ ," Angelica says, backing me up. "Can't we just rest for five minutes?" Beckett gives a long, exaggerated sigh before mumbing an agreement. Angelica and I breath a sigh of relief in unison, both weary from the running and walking we've been doing. I plop down on a log and take the heavy pack I've been wearing off my shoulders. Eagerly, I open it up, excited to see what I managed to grab.

Inside the pack, I find a pack of sunflower seeds, a small container of cookies, a sheet of plastic to use against the rain, a bottle of iodine, an empty water cantine, and… a butter knife. I scowl as I pull out the last item. _What in the world am I supposed to do with a butter knife?_

Beckett grins when he sees my frown. "You're going to be unstoppable with that weapon," He remarks, letting out a laugh.

"It's not funny," I mutter, but my lips curve upwards into a smile. It feels strange to smile in the Hunger Games.

I take a look at what Angelica and Beckett got. Angelica wasn't able to escape with anything, which she seems disappointed about, but Beckett managed to grab a full sack of supplies, as well as a sword. He rummages through the sack for a moment before flinging it back over his back and standing up.

"Come on," He says. "We should keep moving. I don't want to be anywhere near the Careers when they start hunting."

My legs still ache, but he makes a fair point, so I stand, and together, the three of us continue our trek through the jungle.

* * *

District 12: Erin Arden, Age 15

"Woah."

That's the only word that comes to my lips when I push aside a large leafy branch and seem to enter some sort of Hunger Games paradise. I hear Rois gasp beside me as I take in the sight. A large sunlit clearing is laid out before us. A small, sparkling pool lies in the center, and crystals of all colors surround it, glittering in the fading light. The call of exotic birds fills the scene, singing beautiful tunes, and all sorts of fruits hang down from the trees.

"I guess this is where we're stopping," Rois says. I can only nod in agreement. Silently, we unpack our supplies, still marveling at the scene before us. I find an empty bottle and a small container of iodine in my backpack and carry it over to the pool, filling it to the brim with clear water. After squeezing in some iodine, I set it aside and wait.

I realize suddenly that I'm sweating, and I glance at the pool. On an impulse, I leap into it, a smile crossing my lips as my body meets the cool water. It laps around me, going up to my chest. I dig my feet into the sand below me and let out a sigh. For being in the Hunger Games, things haven't been so bad.

I see Rois glance at me from where she's sitting. "You know, we should probably be working on building a shelter," She reminds me. I shrug.  
"Come on," I urge, "Jump in. If we're going to die, we might as well spend our last few days on Earth to the fullest, right?"

I see Rois roll her eyes, but she complies, hitting the water with a splash. She grins and laughs, whipping out her hand and sending a flurry of droplets in my direction. I beam, and for a moment, I can forget about my impending doom in these deadly games.

* * *

District 2: Octavian Grimes, Age 18

I pace back and forth at the opening of the Cornucopia, my eyes landing on each Career member in turn.

"Eight deaths," I say, my voice low and threatening. "Eight deaths! We're supposed to be trained killers that strike fear into the hearts of the outliers, and we only managed to kill _eight people_?! That's ridiculous!" I whirl towards Nemo, who sits on a crate of food. "You! How many kills did you get in the bloodbath?" His face turns pale.

"None," He whispers so softly I almost can't hear him. I roll my eyes and turn to Blaze. "How about you, huh? How many people did you kill?" Blaze's eyes flit away from me, and I see him look terrified for a second before regaining his confidence. Before he can respond, however, another voice intervenes.

"Maybe you should stop blaming the low kill count on us. I saw you in the bloodbath. You only managed to get one kill, and it was that skinny ten boy that had just about given up on life anyway. I think you're just yelling at us to cover up the fact that you're not as strong and powerful as you made everyone think."

My head whips in Marine's direction, who's casually propped against the back of the Cornucopia, cleaning off the blood from a long knife. I feel rage bubble up in my stomach. Honestly, she has a point. I spent most of my time at the bloodbath trying to find the perfect weapon, and by the time I got my hands on a sword that felt right, almost everyone had already dispersed. To be quite truthful, I don't actually care all that much about the rather low death count. After all, it just means more fun later in the games. I'm only trying to keep on iron hold over my pack. I need my allies to know that I'm not someone they want to mess with. But Marine is completely ruining my plan. She's making me look weak, and that's the _last_ thing I want. Quickly, I attempt to come up with a response and eventually resort to a lie.  
"As a matter of fact, that wasn't the only kill I had," I retort. Marine's eyes glitter with amusement.

"Really?" She asks. "Who else did you kill, then?" I rapidly think back and remember spotting the District 6 boy lying dead on the ground.

"The boy from 6, Nathan," I respond. Marine smirks, and I hear Juno snicker in the background.

"Actually, I killed him," She tells me. _Crap._ I chew my lip, trying to think of some sort of remark to say back to her, but my mind goes blank, so instead, I promptly snatch up my sword.

"Come on," I say. "We're going hunting." I see Blaze and Ariana exchange glances.

"The bloodbath just ended," Blaze states after a small hesitation. "Don't you think we should take some time to rest and get orga-"

"We're going hunting!" I repeat. "I'm the leader here, remember? That means you take orders from me! Ariana, you stay here and guard the horn. Everyone else, come with me."

I hear some muttering from the Careers, but they follow my lead, which gives me a strange sense of satisfaction. They are part of my alliance. And they will do as I say.

* * *

District 9: Albin Ainsley, Age 15

 _The bloodbath raged around me as I searched desperately through the fray, my eyes frantically attempting to find the dirty blond hair of my ally. I finally spotted her about twenty feet away from me, and my face lit up in a smile- but before I could reach her, a scream escaped her lips. Horrified, my gaze landed on an arrow implanted in her back. Carlina fell to the ground, limp, and I rushed to her. As I ran, however, something long and thin scissored through the air, hitting me in the side and knocking me to the ground. I looked up, stunned, and to my horror saw the District 1 boy standing above me, his spear raised over my chest. My heart felt like it stopped beating. My entire body went stiff, and I could do nothing but lie on the ground and watch as the boy began to lower his weapon. Then he stopped. He spared a glance behind him before shouting, "Go! Run!"_

I still don't understand why he saved me. He's a Career, after all; Careers are supposed to kill without hesitation. I suppose there have been times in past Hunger Games when kids from the Career districts have actually had a conscious and don't enjoy what they do; but they're very rare. I finger the silver ring on my finger, deep in thought. Then I sigh. Who cares why the 1 boy decided to spare me? I'm alive, and that's all that matters.

My mind turns to Carlina, and pain once again shoots through my heart. Despite only knowing her for a few days, Carlina was one of the closest friends I've ever had. I guess I always knew, deep down, that she was going to have to die for me to return home, but a part of me hoped that maybe, somehow, a rule would be altered and we'd both be able to win. But of course, that thought was ridiculous. The Capitol would never show that much mercy.

* * *

District 12: Beckett Roy, Age 17

My breath catches in my throat when I hear the growl.

I stop in my tracks, shushing Angelica and Cole, who are talking behind me. The growl comes again, a low, bloodcurdling noise that makes a shiver run down my spine. Slowly, I turn in a circle, searching for the source. And then I see it. Two gleaming black eyes glaring at me from behind a bush.

"Run," I whisper to Angelica and Cole. They look at me, frozen with fear. "RUN!" I repeat. They take off just as the creature pounces.

My feet are moving before my mind has time to catch up, carrying me after my allies. I'm a pretty fast runner, and it's not long before I pass them. I glance behind me and see that the animal, which appears to be a wolf, is quickly catching up to Angelica and Cole. I pause. I could help them, of course- my hand reaches for my sword instinctively- but if I'm going to live… well, they're going to have to die, right? I doubt they'd be able to take on the mutt; it would probably shred them to bits in a matter of seconds. It'd give me the time I need to get away. But they're my _allies._ I can't just leave them behind.

The wolf snaps at Cole's heels, and I make my move, leaping towards the monster and slashing at it with my sword. It whimpers as the blade makes a cut from it's ear to it's eye and backs away before running back into the wilderness. I breath a sigh of relief.

"That was close," Angelica says, laughing a bit. "Thanks, Beckett." I give a weak smile.

"No problem," I respond, and we begin to walk once again.

* * *

District 4: Nemo Fisher, Age 18

"Ouch!"

Gingerly, I pull the thorn out of my leg, wincing. "This is ridiculous," Blaze mutters, stepping over a bush. "We've been walking all day and haven't seen a single person. My feet are exhausted. We should turn back."

Juno and Marine give a muttered agreement, but Octavian continues to press onwards. I'm in the middle of a fantasy in which these horrible games didn't exist when I hear a noise.

The five of us pause. "Do you think it's a tribute?" Juno whispers.

"I'll go and investigate," I offer. I'm not keen on the idea of killing someone, but if I want to keep my spot in the pack then I'm going to have to prove myself to them. Slowly and carefully, I mske my way towards the noise, which is gradually getting louder. I push away aside a vine, and-

Wait.

Oh, God.

That's not a vine.

That's a _snake_.

I give a strangled yelp and jump backwards as the giant beast turns it's scaly head on me. The other Careers come running to me, then pause as well when they see the cause of my fear. The snake hisses, and I freeze. I blink, and it rushes forward.

I don't have time to move before it bites me in the arm. I scream and clutch the wound as Marine streaks forward, stabbing the reptile in the side repeatedly until it dies. She turns to me. "You okay?" She asks. I ignore the pain and stand up straight, forcing a nod.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I reply. I try and pretend not to notice that my arm is slowly turning into a sickly yellow shade.

* * *

District 3: Scorpius Herin, Age 16

My whole body hurts.

I've been walking all day, trying to put as much distance as possible between myself and the Careers. I'm exhausted, no matter how much I toss and turn in the bed of leaves I've made, I can't fall asleep out of fear.

I hear the anthem begin to blare and crawl out of the makeshift shelter I've made. The Capitol seal pops up first. Then Jessica pops on screen.

 _Jessica._ Oh, no. I sit down, breathing deeply. Jessica and I were… complicated. I never really liked her- at least, not in the way that she liked me- but she was kind to me, and the closest person I've ever had to a friend. I find tears burning my face and hastily wipe them away.

The next tribute to show up is the girl from 5. So no Careers died. I'm not surprised, but it still makes my stomach lurch. The boy from 5 comes on as well. Then comes the boy from 6, the girl from 7, the boy from 8, and both from 10.

So eight people are dead. I let out a shaky breath. There are sixteen of us left in the arena.

They all have to die for me to live.

* * *

District 6: Livia Fleet, Age 15

I killed him.

I killed a human.

I killed _Wyatt_.

He will go home in a wooden box, now.

His family and friends will cry, now.

He will never be able to live the life he deserves, now.

Because of me.

I try to make excuses for myself. _He was probably going to die at some point, anyways. He betrayed the alliance and tried to kill Alyxandra; I was only helping her out. He volunteered to go into these games, anyway; it was really his own fault he died so young._ But I can't escape the guilt that's shooting through my body, plaguing my mind, threatening to take over completely and destroy me.

I feel myself beginning to tremble, tears running down my cheeks. Alyxandra notices and wraps her arms around me in a comforting hug, and I give her a grateful smile. We're sitting at the edge of a river, our shelter propped up against a tree, looking dangerously fragile and shaking whenever it's hit by a gust of wind. I realize that there's probably a camera on me right now, and so I look up to the sky. I figure an apology can't hurt. It'd help to ease the pain a bit, at least.

"Umm… Wyatt's family, if you can hear me right now, I'm… I'm really sorry about… what I did." My voice breaks and I feel more tears burning my eyes. But even though my body still aches, I feel just a little better than before.

 **I'm sorry about these POVs being so short, but I couldn't really write any more without it turning to absolute garbage. In day 2 and night 2, I'm going to be describing the games through Iris' POV. I'll see you later!**


	32. Creepy Crawlies: Day 2

**Oof. I still haven't made the sponsor form yet, have I… oh, well. It's coming.**

 **Also, go check out Anna Banana's new story, Panem Stained Red! The form is on my profile for you to send in tributes.**

* * *

Iris Lasumi, Age 22

 _Briiiiiing!_

I'm instantly torn away from my dream as the sound of the alarm clock reaches my ears. I shoot out of bed, giggling with excitement, and run out of my room and down the hall to the living room, not bothering to change out of my fluffy pajamas. Like a ninja, I leap onto the couch, my fingers clamping around the remote controller, and flick the TV on. I'm met with an image of Verin Fleras, the District 7 male, lightly snoozing amidst the branches of a tall tree.

I've decided to start waking up at 5:00 A.M. during the Hunger Games so that I don't miss anything big. Nickel claims I'm being ridiculous ("Nothing happens in the morning," he told me when I described my plan to him), but if there's a huge duel that takes place in the early hours of the day, I don't want to miss it. It's way more fun to watch a major duel between tributes live than it is to watch a replay of it. Last year, I didn't wake up to watch the games until 8:00, and I missed a few epic battles. I don't intend to make the same mistake this time around.

As the minutes tick by, however, I begin to see Nickel's point. Most of the tributes are simply sleeping, the only active one being Albin, who's lazily making his way across the vast arena with dark circles under his eyes. A few others are standing guard over their allies, but they all seem quite exhausted (other than Juno, who sharpens her sword near the mouth of the Cornucopia with a wild glint in her eyes). Caesar Flickerman is doing his best to keep things interesting, but there's not much he can do when none of the tributes appear to be doing much of anything. My excitement begins to wear down, replaced with exhaustion, and my head droops against a fluffy pink pillow. It's so early… sleep sounds so nice right now…

I jolt awake when I hear the doorbell ring. I rush to answer, glancing at a clock on the way. _9:03._ I was out for longer than I thought. I reach the door and pull it open, revealing Nickel. He smiles at me and pulls me into a hug, which I gratefully return.

"Anything exciting happen?" Nickel asks. I shake my head, and he smirks in an I-told-you-so sort of way. I roll my eyes and push him playfully. Nickel wanders to the kitchen while I plop back down on the couch. It doesn't seem as though I missed anything while I was asleep. Most of the tributes are just beginning to wake up. The camera switches to a shot of the Cornucopia, and I see the Careers beginning to rise. Octavian is urging everyone up, insisting that they begin hunting as soon as possible, but it's clear he's not thrilled at getting up so early. Meanwhile, Beckett, Angelica, and Cole are slowly wandering through the jungle, munching on a bit of dried fruit Beckett escaped with at the bloodbath. The three of them are idly chatting; Caesar, grinning, makes a comment about how Angelica and Cole seem to be standing very close together. I notice it too, and a smile lights up my face. Before I can think about it more, however, the camera switches again, showing a shot of Scorpius slowly stirring from his sleep.

"I made a bet that Scorpius would make it to the top three," Nickel comments randomly, back from the kitchen with a bowl of crackers under his arm. I glance at him curiously.

"I didn't know you bet," I say. He shrugs.

"I don't do it often, but sometimes during the Hunger Games I'll place some money on tributes," Nickel says. "It's pretty fun. You should try it some time."

I laugh. "Yeah, right. I'd rather not waste all my money gambling on stupid things that'll probably never happen, thanks very much," I retort, but I keep the idea in the back of my head to dwell on later- after all, it does sound sort of exciting.

Nothing happens for a long time. I'm just beginning to walk down the hall to my bedroom to find the bunny slippers I forgot to put on in the morning when Nickel lets out an excited shout and yells, "Iris! Get over here!"

I rush back to the living room to find the Career Pack, consisting of Ariana, Blaze, Octavian, Juno, and Marine (Nemo stayed to guard the Cornucopia due to the sickly state of his arm), surrounding Verin; I gasp; Caesar Flickerman is commentating so quickly that I can hardly understand him, his voice filled with excitement.

Verin tries to run, but Juno blocks his path. He panics and swings at her wildly with his axe, but Juno ducks easily and shoves him backwards so hard he falls to the ground, his axe clattering down a few feet away from him. His attempts to crawl away are stopped when Juno rolls him over and plants her foot over his chest, her sword raised high over her head. Before she can land the killing blow, however, Octavian stops her.

"I think I should kill him," He says. Juno looks awestruck for a moment before glaring him.

"Are you _kidding_?" She says, outraged. " _I'm_ the one who just beat him in a fight!"

"Yes, but _I'm_ the one who heard him in the first place," Octavian counters. "Besides, I'm the leader of the Careers." Juno's face turns tomato red with anger and a heated argument breaks out. It's only when the two Careers are facing off against each other with their weapons brandished in front of them when Marine screams, "He's getting _away_ , you idiots!"

 _She's right,_ I realize with a chuckle. While the pack was distracted by the argument at hand, it seems as though Verin had managed to pick up his axe and is now sprinting away from the scene. Marine chucks a knife in his direction, but he's too far away, and the blade only grazes his foot. He lets out a short yelp of pain but keeps running, eventually disappearing from view. Caesar is cackling from the television. "And Verin escapes the Career Packs' clutches!" He shouts gleefully.

The Careers are silent for a moment. Then Marine whirls towards Juno and Octavian.

"I can't _believe_ you two!" She shouts. "How could you just him get away like that?! You're buffoons, both of you!" Octavian puffs out his chest.

"I wouldn't talk to the leader of the Careers like that if I were you. Besides," He adds hotly, "It was _her_ fault. If Juno had just let me get the kill-"  
"MY fault?!" Juno shrieks. "If _YOU_ hadn't acted like a total baby and let _me_ get the kill, he would've never gotten away!"

Marine nods. "She's right, Octavian. Honestly, I would've expected better from the _leader of the Careers_." She smirks, and Octavian scowls.

"Watch your mouth, Marine," He growls. "Come on, let's keep moving."

The TV switches to a commercial for Selsquiliums, a new type of dessert just recently invented- it's a vanilla mini cake topped with chocolate frosting and littered with candies. "If you haven't had 'em, then you haven't lived!" The screen sings. Then the Hunger Games are back on.

The camera shows a shot of Erin and Rois, who are munching on some sort of fuzzy fruit whose name I don't know. Then the screen cuts to Nemo. He's sitting in the mouth of the Cornucopia, groaning and clutching his arm, which has now turned to a dark shade of green. Puss is spewing from the mark the snake bit him in. I cringe at the gruesome sight and look away.

Next, the scene goes to where Livia and Alyxandra sit. They're quietly talking together; Livia still looks upset over killing her old ally, Wyatt, but seems to be recovering; she even laughs a little as Alyx tells her a joke.

Suddenly, I notice something moving in the leaves above. My eyes widen in horror when I see it's a spider about the size of a small dog, it's body the color of a plum, watching the girls with what seems like a million bloodred eyes.

"Ah, yes," Caesar remarks. "It seems as though the Gamemakers have released a Drylight Spider! These creepy crawlies are not particularly harmful, but they can be a nuisance, and the poison in their fangs can cause intense sickness, though it'll clear up after a few days."

Livia looks up just as the spider pounces and screeches, jumping out of the way. The spider lands where she was just a second before and scuttles towards her. Livia, whimpering, crawls backwards, but the spider is suddenly split in half by a large blade. Alyx stands in it's spot, clutching Livia's hatchet in her hand. Livia smiles weakly. "Thanks," She says. Alyx grins. Before she can respond, however, another Drylight Spider suddenly leaps out of the darkness. Alyx swings the hatchet, cutting through it as though it was paper. But then another one comes. And another.

Livia grabs a small knife she had also managed to get from the bloodbath and joins the fight. Neither of them seem to be making much of a difference, though- for every spider they kill, two more appear in it's place. Finally, Alyx shouts, "In the river! Quick!" The two leap into the water. A few of the spiders attempt to follow, but they soon drown and are carried away by the current. The rest stand by the shore, hissing and spitting, before finally retreating back into the shadows. Livia and Alyx grin and high five each other, panting heavily, and I release the breath I didn't realize I was holding. The camera goes back to a commercial, and I snuggle up against Nickel, eagerly awaiting the next part of the games.

 **Not much happens in Day 2, so I decided as to not get bored writing it, I would make it in the view of Iris. This was basically just kind of a check in with all of the tributes. Hope you enjoyed! Day 2 will be in the same format.**


	33. Brewing Trouble: Night 2

**Welp. Hi.**

 **Sorry for sort of abandoning this. If I'm being super honest, I literally sort of forgot this story existed. Also, I've been super busy and whatnot. But yeah. I'll finish this if it's the last thing I do, I promise. :)**

 **Ok, so um, hopefully you're all okay with the fact that this is super short, because… well, this is super short. I tried to make it as long as I could, but honestly if I tried to make it much longer the chapter would start sucking even more than it already has, and I'd probably lose motivation as well and I REALLY don't want to wait any longer before posting a chapter.**

 **Sorry if there are spelling mistakes in this, as I didn't bother to check it over. :/**

 **Ok, anyway, here we have Night 2, once again in Iris' perspective.**

* * *

Iris Lasumi, Age 22

The bar is crowded and noisy when Nickel and I walk in, just like always. On the huge flat screen television facing me, the Hunger Games are blaring, currently on a shot of the Careers trekking through the jungle with their weapons out and ready. Nickel calls me over to an empty table, and we sit down before immediately turning our attention to the screen.

The cameras are still on the Careers, Juno and Octavian still arguing over who should've killed Verin.

"I was the one who heard him," Octavian grumbles, looking more than a little annoyed. " _And_ I'm the leader of the Careers."

" _Oh, I'm the leader, so I should get all the kills we make even though I'm useless and annoying,_ " Juno mimics in a high, exaggerated voice. Marine snickers.

"If either of you say another word, I swear I'll stab you straight through the chest," Octavian says.

"Oh, please," Juno snorts. "You could never take me down and you know it."

"You want to test that theory?" Octavian snarls, unsheathing his sword. Juno laughs and brandishes her own sword, poised to strike.

"GUYS!" The fight is interrupted by Blaze, who I honestly forgot was there until he spoke. "Guys, honestly," He says again, "You're all going to give me a migraine. Could you _please_ just stop fighting for one moment?" Ariana nods quietly in agreement.

Marine sighs and then speaks. "You know, he has a point." She admits. "I mean, it's only the second day and we're already trying to kill each other. How in the world are we going to last more than a week or so?"

Octavian and Juno glance at each other for a moment before slowly and begrudgingly lowering their weapons. The people at the bar let out a collective breath and begin to relax. The two Careers were dangerously close to killing each other.

The camera switches to a shot of Cole and Angelica sitting together on a log, Beckett a little ways off gathering sticks for a shelter. They seem to be becoming increasingly close to each other with each minute that passes in the games.

"Do you have any siblings back home?" Angelica asks. Cole shakes his head.

"It's just me and my parents." He says. "What about you?"

Angelica sighs, her hand moving to aimlessly play with a bracelet of teal beads on her wrist. "I have a little brother named Jaime. He's… really sweet. And my mom… well, she went crazy after my dad… passed away." She goes quiet. Cole stares at her for a moment, at a loss for words.

"Oh." He finally says. There's an awkward pause. "That… that sucks. That really sucks." The words aren't much, but they're enough for Angelica to give him a smile, and everyone in the bar lets out a collective, " _Awwwww!"_

"Are you guys going to help me or what?!" Comes the angry shout of Beckett a moment later, and the two hurry to help him build the shelter he's working on.

"I think Angelica and Cole would be really cute together," I remark as the screen switches to a cut of Albin, who doesn't seem to be doing much of anything besides just walking around. Nickel frowns.

"Really?" He asks. "I don't know. They're both really young…"  
"Yeah, but they're the same age! _And_ they're from the same district. _And_ they have a lot of chemistry," I rebuttal, smirking. "Come on, you have to admit that they- oh my God!" I'm shocked into silence when the camera suddenly switches to a shot of Scorpius in a full out sprint, the Careers in hot pursuit directly behind him.

A chorus of gasping and yelling ensues as Scorpius runs. Beside me, Nickel is shouting, "GO! GO! COME ON, SCORPIUS, PULL THROUGH! YOU CAN DO IT! I BELIEVE IN YOU!"

"I didn't know you liked Scorpius so much," I say, eyes not leaving the TV screen.

"I don't," Nickel says. "But I bet on him making it to the top 3, remember? If he dies now, you have _no idea_ how much money I'll lose!"

"Well, you might be in trouble, then," I say. Scorpius is fast and he seems to be leaving most of the Career group behind, but Blaze is still in hot pursuit and is slowly gaining on him. He raises his spear, arm poised to throw… then lowers it again. Blaze begins to slow down- almost _purposely_ , though I don't understand why he would do that- and Scorpius is able to escape, though he doesn't stop running until he's put a lot of distance between himself and the Careers. Meanwhile, Blaze falls back towards his allies, panting.

"Sorry, I-I lost him," He says.  
"You _what_?!" Octavian shouts. "Are you kidding?! That's _two_ outliers that have slipped through our fingers just _today_!"

"Hey, it wasn't just his fault!" Ariana pipes up. "We all lost him. All of us should be taking the blame." Octavian scowls and sighs.

"Whatever. Let's just go back to the Cornucopia. I'm done with hunting right now." The pack turns around dejectedly and begin to make their way back where they came from. Blaze gives Ariana a small smile.

"Thanks," He whispers. Ariana smiles back.

"No problem," She says.

As the Careers walk, thoughts begin to tumble around in my mind. _Why would Blaze purposely let Scorpius live?_ Perhaps he was just too tired and decided to give up. But for some reason, I don't think that was the cause.

Suddenly, I remember something that happened during the bloodbath. There was so much going on at the time that the event slipped by before I could really think about it, but now I remember: Blaze helped the boy from District 9, Albin. He could have killed him, but he helped him instead. I frown. Perhaps Blaze has a little more heart than the other Careers.

Nothing much happens for the rest of the night, though it does begin to rain, soaking the tributes to the bone. When the anthem plays and the Capitol seal pops up in the sky, Nickel stands up. "Ready to go?" He asks, and I nod. It's a shame no one died today, but I suppose there are usually at least a few deathless days in the Hunger Games. I hop to my feet with a little spring in my step, certain that there will be shed tomorrow.

 **Ok, so that was that. Did you like it? Not like it? Be brutally honest with me, any feedback is awesome!  
PLEASE READ THIS. There is a poll on my profile. I know it's not super important or anything, but I'd love love love if you'd vote on it, as it may impact who wins the games.**

 **Alright, next up will be day 3 (which will hopefully be up quicker than this chapter came out)! I'll see you there! Toodaloo!**


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